The Other Side
by IndependenceDayChild17
Summary: After Shotat's wrath, Richard finds himself at the People's Palace, as the Lord Rahl. Now he must figure out what has happened an try to fix all of the relationships that are changed in this alternate reality.
1. Prelude

Prelude

Richard feel to his knees as pain coursed through him. He could hear Kahlan calling his name, but all he saw was white. He could not breath; it was close to the feeling of an Agiel at the base of the skull. Time seemed to stop and all that existed was the pain, but this was not the familiar pain of a Mord – Sith. This was the magic of Shota.

He heard Shota shriek, "You do not comprehend the evil you could have wrought on the world! What you could have become!"

The pain was so intense Richard didn't understand what she was saying.

"Shota, no!" That was Kahlan, he thought.

"I will show you the other side!" Shota screamed.

Somehow the pain seemed to intensify. The only thing Richard could think of was the end of the pain. He didn't hear what Kahlan or Shota yelled at each other as the world turned to darkness.

Eternity struck.

He didn't know anything. He felt that this must have been what being in his mother's womb had been like. There was nothing to worry about, and he didn't worry. There was an everlasting calm that settled over him. He was awake and asleep, up and down, dark and light.

Suddenly, there was light again, and Richard didn't know where he was, but it wasn't Agaden Reach. The light stung at his eyes, trying to pry them open. He heard himself screaming and felt tears running down his face. He had a sudden memory of being born.

This had been a bad idea.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Richard woke naked. He could feel sheets surrounding his body; they were very soft. He didn't like it.

He sat up and looked around. The room was huge. The bed, while being the largest bed Richard had ever seen, didn't take up a fifth of the room. It was made with marble, white marble floors with black marble columns jutting up from the floor. The black wood of the bed contrasted sharply with the crisp, clean white sheets that he was so rudely inhabiting. There were no rugs on the floor. Everything was either black or white. Richard didn't like this either.

He looked over, hoping to see Kahlan when he knew she wouldn't be there. He looked around, seeing a pile of clothes, he got out of the bed and headed over to them. They weren't his, but they fit perfectly. There was a sword next to them, it looked like the Sword of Truth, with its wire wrought hilt, but the words TRUTH were not on the hilt. He pulled the sword free of the scabbard.

There was no distinctive metal ring, and no magic to rush into him. Richard was angry, but it wasn't from the magic that he so desperately wanted to feel. He slid the sword back into its scabbard.

The white marble floors were cold on his feet. Richard pulled on the black shirt, followed by the black pants. There wasn't anything else to put on, except the sword. He strapped it to his belt. There was no baldric to pull over his head. Richard didn't like it.

There were only two doors in the huge bedroom. One of them, the one Richard felt was the better choice, was locked. He couldn't find the key. He hoped that he wasn't locked in the room.

The other door, which was black, was carved. There were snakes running down the side, and other carnivorous beasts all along it. The handles were skulls. Richard didn't like this door, but it opened. Then Richard knew where he was; through the door was a beautiful garden. In the center, on a pedestal were the three boxes of Orden. Their jewels sparkled at him as a reminder. Richard was in the Peoples Palace.

Richard was in Darken Rahl's bedroom.

His hand went to the unfamiliar sword. He was disturbed by the lack of the word TRUTH that should have been there to greet his hand. No one was in the garden, though. Richard didn't know what he would have done if there had been someone. He was the Lord Rahl after all, but he was unsure of what was going on.

He strode across the garden, and saw that the Boxes of Orden looked securely located on the pedestal. He didn't know how they had gotten there. He didn't remember this huge garden. Jennsen had told him the boxes were kept in a room. Denna had told her where to find them. Right after he had killed their mother. The anger he felt made Richard remember the time he had spent with Denna when Darken Rahl was still in power.

He came to a door that was familiar looking, and opened it. There were four guards outside the door that immediately snapped to attention, as the door was pulled open. Their eyes were looking up over his head, and their faces were stone looking. Richard walked past them, even though he didn't know where he was going.

He decided to find Cara. He knew where the Mord – Sith quarters were and thought that Cara was his best chance at not getting lost in the huge palace. He hoped that Kahlan was at the palace, but had had other things to do. He already missed her, even from the short time they had been separated.

Richard was about to turn down the corridor to the Mord – Sith chambers, when he saw her. Even from a distance of 100 feet, Richard could see her eyes go wide, but only for a second, then the Confessor face had been brought into place. He started to walk towards her, correcting his path.

She turned away from him.

He knew that she had seen him. Why had she turned away from him then? Kahlan was heading for the closest hallway. Something was wrong. Richard didn't like it.

"Kahlan!" He called down the hall. She didn't turn around. "Kahlan!" he tried again. This time a few guards noticed, but Kahlan did not. "Kahlan, stop!" He bellowed in his loudest voice. He saw her falter in her step. She had obviously heard him all three times but was ignoring him.

The guards sprang into action. They quickly surrounded her, and drew their weapons. Richard charged down the hall.

There weren't many people in the hall, except the guards who rushed to move from his way as he sprinted. He could see the tension in the ring of soldiers. One of them was obviously talking to Kahlan, but he could not hear what they were saying to her. He thought that the soldiers would know by now not to attack Kahlan. At least they hadn't hurt her yet. He slowed down when he got close enough to hear what was being said.

"What have you done this time?" The guard's tone was low and tense; Richard was surprised he hadn't used profanity by his tone.

Kahlan's hands were balled into fists. She was obviously restraining herself, but Richard could tell that she wasn't willing to fight all of them. She didn't reply to his question. Then the guard made a move to hit her. Richard knew that he wasn't going to hurt her badly, his hand was open, and Kahlan had been through much worse than a slap, but this was his soldier, and Kahlan was his wife.

He charged through the ring of steel and jumped in front of the soldier. Richard caught the man's hand in midair as it made its way towards Kahlan's face. Richard's fingers contracted around the hand, causing the man to grimace a little.

"Leave." Richard commanded in a quiet deadly serious tone. The man's arm moved to his heart when Richard let go of it and he bowed. The guard then turned on his heel and walked away as swiftly as possible.

Richard couldn't see Kahlan's face, but the other guards looked surprised by his actions. "All of you." Richard redirected his command to all of the soldiers when the immediate threat was gone. All of the soldiers left in the same swift, curt manner as the leader.

Richard stood still for a moment watching them leave, trying to fit together the pieces of what he had seen so far, when he heard some thing that made his heart almost break.

"Lord Rahl, thank you for your kindness." Kahlan's submissive whisper sounded like the time Hally had tried to apologize for telling him she would not go to his bed. He didn't understand why Kahlan would sound so beaten and broken.

The worst part was that she had called him Lord Rahl.

Richard didn't like it.

Richard finally turned around to face her, stunned by what he saw. She was in her white Mother Confessor dress, but it looked ragged, dirty, and it was torn. Her face was bruised; She had a black eye, a few yellow patches on her jaw, and two cuts, one on her left cheek, and another over her right eye. Richard knew that she had been through much worse than that soldier slapping her.

There was a Rada-Han around her neck.

"Kahlan, are you alright?" His voice sounded like he was about to cry. Kahlan looked up in disbelief, but when she saw his eyes watching her gaze, her head fell back to the subservient bow.

"Of course Lord Rahl, I deserve everything I – " She flinched when she saw Richard's hand moving towards her face. He could not believe she thought he would hit her. Richard also knew she did not believe what she was saying.

He cupped her non-bruised jaw in his hand and gently brought her gaze to his. "Kahlan, who did this to you?" His question was forceful, but still gentle.

Her gaze turned to disgust after his question though. Her hands had been curled back up into fists; she was restraining herself.

"You did, Lord Rahl." He heard the poison in her voice, it hit him hard, and he didn't think that his heart had survived her poisonous retort. He had offended her somehow, but she had just claimed that he hit her. He knew he never had.

Richard stared into her eyes for a few moments. He watched her eyes burn with rage and then extinguish into thoughts of pain to come. Pain she thought he was going to inflict. He didn't know what to say.

"I see." Kahlan's face turned into the Confessors mask. "Do you know where Cara is?" Kahlan's mask faltered for an instant, but long enough for him to see what she feared he would do. He was still surprised that she would ever even consider him harming them.

"No, I do not know where Mistress Cara is." Kahlan was lying, but Richard didn't care at this point. He hoped that Cara would help him more.

Richard walked away, towards the Mord – Sith quarters. He turned around as he heard Kahlan shuffle off. "Kahlan." She stopped automatically, "Call me Richard." He had spoken softly, but it was an obvious command.

"As you wish, Richard."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

He found Cara's room easily enough; he remembered being there from when he had been Denna's pet. The Mord – Sith quarters were not far from where he had encountered Kahlan. Cara was not in her room, so he decided to wait.

He needed to form a plan. He didn't know what was happening, but he knew that Shota was involved. The last thing he remembered was Shota glaring at him before eternity hit. He was also worried about what Cara would do, how she would see him. If Kahlan thought Richard was a monster, how would Cara think of him as Lord Rahl?

Think of the solution, not the problem. He told himself.

Richard had been sitting on Cara's bed when he heard the footsteps. It hadn't been that long of a wait. He idly wondered what Cara had been doing, but it didn't matter. She was a Mord – Sith in the People's Palace. She probably had patrolling or something.

Cara walked through the door and looked shocked for half of a second. It was a long enough pause for Richard to know that this was not a regular occurrence in Cara's life. She fell to her knees and tried to start the devotion, but Richard cut her off.

"Get up, Cara." He said it softly, but he could see the fear in her eyes. As she did he heard her brown leather creak.

"Is there something I can help you with, Lord Rahl?" Cara asked, her voice steady despite her fear.

"I was hoping you could tell me what is going on with Kahlan."

Richard saw her eyes widen, but didn't understand why. She didn't know what he was talking about either.

"Lord Rahl, I – " He stopped her with a raised hand.

"Never mind, I see now that you don't have any idea what I'm talking about." He said, "You must be under the same influence or something. This has something to do with magic." He muttered to himself, thinking out loud.

Cara looked confused by his words. "Lord Rahl, I don't understand. Is there something I can help you with?" He saw her pointedly look towards the bed.

"What? No, I don't need you to help me in that way. Cara why would I need that?" He said, hearing anger in his voice. He had forgotten that Cara was under some strange influence.

Cara's mouth opened into a small 'o', and the fear passed over her face. "I'm sorry, Lord Rahl. I didn't mean to imply that . . ." She trailed off when Richard collapsed on to her bed.

"Cara . . . please, just . . . just tell me why Kahlan hates me." He felt heart broken. His wife hated him, his friend feared him, who knew what else was wrong. He knew he was focusing on the problem, but he need a moment to be weak.

Cara didn't say anything for a long time. He knew that if he removed his hands from their place over his eyes and looked at her, she would look confused, in fact so confused that she would risk punishment to think of a way to answer him. Richard knew that the Lord Rahl she feared, the Lord Rahl who she thought was he, would punish her for hesitation.

"Lord Rahl, you conquered the Midlands, took her as a prisoner to be your queen, and have taken her power from her. You didn't seem to care this much at the time." Cara seemed to care a little too much for a normal Mord – Sith and Confessor relationship. It was nice to know that even in this messed up world they had each other.

He took his hands from his face and looked her in the eyes. "And what have I done to make you hate me?" He clearly saw the fear on her face, it stayed there for longer than she normally allowed. He had freighted her, Cara the Mord – Sith, into showing her fear. What was happening?

"I do not hate you, Lord Rahl." He would have believed her if he had not seen her physical reaction to his question. She was that convincing after regaining her composure.

"Cara," He sighed, "I know you are lying to me. Please, I just want to understand what's happening." He was so in the dark. It was killing him not knowing what was happening.

"I do not know what is happening, Lord Rahl. If I did, please believe I would tell you without a thought." Cara had totally regained her composure now. He had kept her off balance from the first time she walked into the room, and she had just now found that balance again.

Richard sighed once more. He knew that it was unfair to ask her why she hated him. He knew she did, but she would never admit it. She was lying to her self, using Wizard's First Rule.

"Okay, Cara. I need you to send someone to find a witch women, named Shota. She used to live in Agaden Reach. I just want to know if she still lives there. I don't want anyone to maim or kill her in any way. Send a scout or something. No quads." He ordered. She looked a little relieved to have an order and not a moping Richard on her hands.

"It will be done at once, Lord Rahl. Would you like me to return . . .later to comfort you?" He knew by the sound of her voice that she didn't want to. That it hurt her to have to ask.

"No, Cara. I don't want you to have to comfort me."

"Someone else then, the Mother Confes –"

"No!" He yelled cutting her off. He would not force Kahlan to do anything she didn't want to. He needed to control his anger though. "No, I don't want any comfort. Thank you, but no."

"As you wish, Lord Rahl." She said and turned towards the door.

"Cara," She stopped, "I'm sorry I yelled at you." He felt bad. She didn't move for a full minute though. Probably not knowing what to say to the Lord Rahl after he apologized.

Finally she answered, "It doesn't matter, Lord Rahl."

He wanted to respond, but she strutted away to quickly for him to say anything. He knew that he could have called out to make her stop, could have called guards to attack her if he wanted to, but he was to tired to try anything.

He needed things to be all right. He needed to hold Kahlan in his arms without having her flinch, needed Cara to look him directly in the eye and harass him with a joke and eye roll.

He needed to think of the solution, not the problem


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

He woke with the sound of a knock. He hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep on Cara's bed. He felt much better. His head was clearer, and he didn't feel as depressed as he had earlier. He must have been deliriously tired. He didn't know what he had been thinking earlier that day.

Cara must have come back to find him asleep. She, of course, had not woken him, probably afraid of some punishment that he would never inflict on his worst enemy. He sighed softly, glad that he had gotten some sleep.

The knock sounded again. He wondered who it was. How many people would knock on a Mord – Sith's door? He looked out the window, noticing for the first time the moon in the sky. In the middle of the night as well, this would be an interesting meeting. Unless the knocker was Cara, but he didn't think it was.

He was upset that Cara had let him take her bed for most of the night. It made him think of the fear in her eyes from his question, and the way Kahlan had looked at him. He longed for her to tell him she loved him.

"Cara." He heard the whisper followed by another knock.

Richard got up and went to the door, he hadn't recognized the voice, but it had been male. It had also called for 'Cara,' not 'Mistress Cara.'

Richard opened the door. He saw a tall, broad shouldered man, with blue eyes and blonde hair. Richard didn't know who he was. He was wearing the uniform of a D'Haran soldier though, and looked sort of familiar.

The man's eyes widened. He was obviously freighted out of his wits, even being a D'Haran soldier. In that moment the man looked like he wanted to die. His face was so pale that Richard thought he might have actually accomplished the deed.

"Hello." Richard said.

"I . . .Lord Rahl . . .I." The man was very confused; he fell to his knees, in an attempt to stop rambling. He recited the devotion. Richard didn't stop him. He wanted to give the man time to think before Richard started asking questions. " _Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours." _The man said it three times and rose, apparently ready to answer the Master Rahl.

"What's your name" Richard questioned the man.

The man answered immediately, "Special forces Captain Benjamin Meiffert, Lord Rahl. It is an honor to meet you, sir."

Richard shut his eyes and sighed. He had seen the fear in this man's eyes, but it was not because he was Lord Rahl, It had to do with Cara.

"Captain Meiffert, would you mind telling me what you are doing knocking on Cara's door in the middle of the night."

The Captain did not falter in what he said, but Richard detected the lie, he was the Seeker of Truth after all. "I needed to inform Mistress Cara of a report that she wanted. I just arrived back and thought she would like the information immediately."

This man obviously knew Cara better than he was letting on. He was willing to be caught by the Master Rahl in a lie for her as well. Richard wanted to know how this man knew Cara, and why he was sneaking to her room in the middle of the night, but right now he was willing to accept Captain Meiffert's lie.

He didn't want to ask Cara, because he knew that she would be afraid. However, it was the middle of the night, and the man did look like he had just gotten back from a long mission. He decided to worry about it later; he had bigger problems right now.

"Well, I'm sorry Captain Meiffert. Cara is not here right now. If I see her I'll tell her you stopped by." The Captain looked too relieved to have been telling Richard the truth. "Now," Richard said moving out of Cara's room, "If you'll excuse me, I need to go."

Richard had shut the door on the way out. Reminding the Captain that Cara's room was off limits when she wasn't there. The protectiveness he felt for her made him feel like her father. He also wanted to tell Meiffert that he had not been sleeping in Cara's room with Cara.

"Oh, and Captain. If you see Cara, tell her she can have her bed back now."

Richard strode down the hall, heading towards his chambers that so reminded him of Darken Rahl.

He didn't want to sleep anymore. He was ready to fight an army, now that he had rested. Most likely, though, he would end up fighting the books, trying to seek knowledge on what was happening.

He entered the huge garden and paused for a second, looking at the beauty that he didn't know had existed before yesterday. It was beautiful in a place of evil. It made him think of all the people he thought were evil. All the people he had killed, defending him self against evil. They all had some beauty in them. Just like the People's Palace.

He went back into the black and white room. It was like walking into a world without color. He hated this room already. He looked around. This was where he had woken up. There had to be something to help him figure out what was happening.

That's when he noticed a flaw in the color scheme. There was something written on the headboard of the bed. He hadn't noticed it when he had woken up, because he had been in the bed. Now, however, the writing was impossible to miss.

He went closer. The writing was hard to miss, but it was tiny. It looked like a little block of color on the headboard. The closer Richard got the easier it was for him to tell that this was in a different language. He didn't even know what language it was in.

He knew that he needed to find out how to read it though. An answer that he desperately needed was only a translation away. He needed to find out what this said. It was not an original part of this room. A designer would not have made such a random mistake, not in this room. No. The message was clearly a warning.

It was written in blood.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Kahlan was sitting in her 'office.' It was a small room in the People's Palace, probably the smallest in the huge expanse of the palace. Currently she had a desk in the room, and two chairs. She sat in the one behind the desk. She had tried to make the room as colorful as possible. It had become a silent retaliation against Lord Rahl, who, from the look of his bedroom, seemed to despise color. Kahlan had seen that bedroom too many times.

She looked down at the small stack of papers on her desk. Rahl had put her in charge of devotion square maintenance. It was a demeaning job, considering she used to run the Midlands.

She fingered the Rada – Han around her neck, wishing that she could take it off and confess Richard Rahl. If she did anything before she died, she would confess that monster. He would suffer before he died. Then she would most likely die as well, however, it would be worth it.

She heard the knock on the door. "Come in."

Cara entered. She was wearing her brown leather and looked unusually tired. Kahlan hoped she hadn't been with Rahl. He had been acting very strange yesterday. Telling her to call him 'Richard.' She remembered the one time she had called him Richard before yesterday. It had been an unpleasant experience.

"Mother Confessor, I believe something is . . . different about Lord Rahl. I . . . don't think that it is Lord Rahl." Cara sounded hesitant, like she expected him to walk through the door and punish her. Rahl didn't visit Kahlan though. He summoned her.

"What do you mean, Cara? He seemed like Rahl to me." Kahlan thought something was strange, but he had looked exactly the same.

"Well, . . ." She paused, "He refused my offer to bed him. He has never done that before. He broke down on my bed. He looked like he might cry. I've never seen Lord Rahl act like that." Cara looked very shaken up. The more Kahlan thought about it, the more Rahl had seemed like a different person yesterday.

"Hum, I see what you mean. He seemed different yesterday, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he is a different person." Kahlan thought he might have been having a good day.

"Maybe, Mother Confessor, but I don't think so. I've known Lord Rahl for a long time." Longer than she wished Kahlan thought, "I've never seen him look like he was going to cry. Not when his father died, or his mother. I didn't know he could cry. He seemed remorseful, sad, and depressed. I don't – " She was cut off by another Mord – Sith bursting in the room. Kahlan tried not to think or say her name, and avoid her most of the time.

"Something is wrong with Lord Rahl!" the other woman roared at Kahlan. "I haven't seen him since the Agiel malfunction. I always see him. He hasn't been following the same patterns tha – " Kahlan cut her off.

"There was an Agiel malfunction?" She looked to Cara. Trying to ignore the glare of the woman.

"Yes, Mother Confessor. Two days ago, I don't know how long it lasted, but I remember picking up my Agiel, but there was no pain. It was a strange feeling. I found a few others, and we began looking for Lord Rahl. We couldn't find him anywhere.

We even missed devotion. About four hours later, I still had my Agiel in my hand. And the magic suddenly was there again. We still don't know what happened."

"You didn't think I should know about this?" Kahlan asked in disbelief.

The other woman jumped back into the conversation. "If we had told you, you would have tried to do something stupid, and we had a problem to deal with at that moment." She sounded venomous.

Cara mouthed 'sorry' at Kahlan. She gave her a slight nod in return.

"So you haven't seen Lord Rahl in two days, and you think something is wrong? Just because he's been avoiding you." She hated calling him 'Lord Rahl,' but around her it was necessary.

"Yes. He likes to come and . . . see me." She answered evasively. "It's not like him."

"What do you think now, Mother Confessor?" Cara said pointedly.

"I don't know. What do you think we should do?" Kahlan was trying to exclude the woman from their conversation. The room was so tiny though, that it was hard for all three of them to stand in it with the door closed.

Cara looked discretely over to the woman and rubbed her ear. She had a plan to escape, but didn't want the woman to hear it. It was a good precaution; she reported everything she heard between Kahlan and Cara to Rahl.

"I think we need to talk to Lord Rahl, and figure out what is going on." The woman said.

"What happens if it's a man impersonating him?" Cara asked softly.

The woman gave her a cruel smile, "Then we get to – "

The door opened slowly, but it seemed like a sudden interruption to their serious conversation. She didn't want to look at the man standing in the doorway; fearing she knew whom it was. Then she heard his voice, submissive and quiet. That couldn't be him; she looked up.

"Denna?" Richard Rahl whispered.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Richard almost fell to his knees and begged Denna to command him. It took all his strength to call her 'Denna' and not 'Mistress.' He quickly regained his senses. She was not his master. Kahlan sitting behind the desk in the tiny room helped him stand his ground. Kahlan had told him Denna was dead. Cara had told him that she had died by an arrow and fell over a cliff.

"Lord Rahl." Denna and Cara spoke at exactly the same time, and tried to kneel. He raised a hand to stop them. He saw Kahlan flinch in the corner of his eye. They couldn't have both knelt in the tiny space. Richard wouldn't fit in the room with the rest of them.

"Um," Richard was still having a hard time with Denna, who was giving him a smile that he remembered coming right before pain. "Kahlan, can I talk to you?"

He saw Kahlan looked scared for half a second, "Of course, Richard."

She got up, but they all had to come out of the room because Kahlan had been the farthest back. After a few minutes of struggling, they were all out of the room. Richard pulled Kahlan away from the two Mord – Sith, trying to be gentle, but she still flinched. Richard saw a look of concern pass across Cara's face for a brief second.

"I need your help with something." Richard said.

Kahlan's hands balled up into fists, "What ever you wish, Richard." She walked off in the direction of his bedroom.

"Kahlan, wait." He grabbed her arm. It was harder than he had intended, and she flinched, trying to pull away. "That's not what I need your help with. I just need you to translate something. I thought you were good with languages." He saw tension go out of her shoulders.

"Oh. Lead the way, Richard." She kept using his name in every sentence like she thought he would hurt her if she didn't. Like she would use it if she were still calling him Lord Rahl.

Before he took a step, he heard Denna call out to him, "Lord Rahl, would you like me to come with you." He voice was seductive, and he knew what she wanted. For a second he feared that if he answered in correctly she would beat him with her Agiel, but she wouldn't. He was the Lord Rahl now, and Denna would not hurt him.

"No, but Cara. I think I might need your help." Denna's face hardened into a cold mask of indifference. Cara looked surprised and immediately started to walk towards Richard. Denna was not used to being rejected, and one look at Kahlan's face told him that no one had ever seen Richard turn Denna down.

"Come on." Richard said, and started off towards the bedroom and garden. As they got closer, he saw Kahlan's fists slowly tighten into balls, and her eyes looked fiery. She looked extremely angry. The guards pulled open the doors as they got closer and closed them behind Cara who was behind Richard and Kahlan walking side-by-side.

Richard led them through the garden and into his bedroom. He walked over to the bed to get a closer look at the words, expecting them to follow. Kahlan stopped outside the door, and Cara walked slowly and reluctantly to the bed.

"Kahlan, come on. I need your help." Richard said.

"You said you didn't need that kind of help." Kahlan whispered, her tone was intense, and Richard though she might attack him. Cara looked impassive as she stood near him next to the bed. Richard knew she was glad Kahlan had said something though.

"No, I don't need that kind of help, Kahlan. Look," He said, pointing to the blood red words. "I don't know what this says. It doesn't look right with the room, and I'm sure that it's written in blood. I just need you to translate it."

Kahlan stared at him for a while, not sure whether to believe him. "Fine." She decided and walked towards him, slowly, but with purpose.

"I've never seen this before, Richard. I don't know what it says; it's in High D'Haran. I . . . thought you knew High D'Haran?" Kahlan seemed reluctant to give him an answer he didn't like, but she seemed a little more at ease now.

"I didn't know High D'Haran was a language. Do you know anyone who reads High D'Haran?" Richard looked at Kahlan, but saw Cara react to his question.

"Um, I don't think I know anyone who knows this language. It's dying out. I didn't learn it . . . well, because it was D'Haran. I'm sorry Richard." She still seemed sort of afraid, but it was the most he had heard out of her yet. He also believed her; she didn't know High D'Haran.

"What about you Cara?" He said turning his gaze to her. "Do you know anyone who can translate High D'Haran?"

Cara looked like she wanted to die. There was obviously someone that knew this dying language, and Cara wanted to protect her.

"Possibly . . . a Mord – Sith?" Richard asked knowing that it was.

Cara swallowed. "Yes . . . Lord Rahl. I know of a Mord – Sith who . . . knows a little High D'Haran." She didn't seem like she wanted to say anymore. Kahlan was looking at her with pity.

"The Mord – Sith, Cara, what is her name? Don't worry. I wont hurt her." Richard was trying to make her feel better. It seemed to do the opposite, however. Kahlan also looked scared after he said that.

"Lord Rahl, I – "

"Cara, he will find out one way or another. Just tell him who it is." Kahlan whispered.

After Kahlan spoke, Cara's resolve broke. She closed her eyes for a second and told Richard the name of the Mord – Sith. He had never heard of her before.

"Well, show me the way to her room, Cara."

Cara immediately started off, slightly shaking her head as she went. She didn't even seem to be paying attention anymore. She was shaken up over betraying her friend to Richard. Something he had said had frightened the two women into telling him the Mord – Sith's name. He didn't know what it was though.

They arrived in the Mord – Sith's quarters shortly, to find that she wasn't there. It didn't surprise Richard that much, so they decided to wait. Kahlan sat on the bed, she had tried to offer it to Richard, but he had refused. Cara still seemed lost in thought and was standing in the corner, and Richard stood by the door. For a short time there was an awkward silence over the air, but Richard didn't want things to be awkward.

"Cara, I'm sorry that I fell asleep in your bed. If it happens again, just wake me up, okay?" Richard had tried to lighten the mood, but Cara seemed to think it was a threat, like wake me up or I'll kill you. Kahlan looked over at Cara stunned.

"Of course, Lord Rahl. What ever you wish." Cara answered after a second.

The room fell back into the awkward silence. Richard, still uncomfortable, was about to say something about Meiffert, when he heard the footsteps out side of the door.

It opened slowly, and the Mord – Sith, looked stunned for a second. She was in her brown leather. The woman was beautiful, of course, Richard had never seen an ugly Mord – Sith, and she had piercing blue eyes and brown hair pulled back into the single braid of a Mord – Sith.

She tried to fall to her knees, but Richard stopped her. He was running out of patience with being in the dark. He needed to know what was happening and this woman was the only way to find out.

"Hello," Richard said as causally as possible. "I hear you know a little of the High D'Haran language. I was wondering if you could help me with a translation?"

The woman nodded, "Of course, Lord Rahl. Anything I can do to help you."

Richard smiled, "It's going to be nice to know you, Berdine."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"This is your fault, Mother Confessor."

"Cara, if you hadn't told him, he probably would have punished you, and then asked Denna. He would have found out about Berdine either way. At least my way you didn't get hurt."

"It has been a week Mother Confessor. Only the Creator knows what Lord Rahl has been doing in there with her." Cara was pacing in the little room. She took two steps and had to turn around. It was making Kahlan dizzy.

"Cara," She said trying to get her attention. "Cara, sit down." Cara stopped pacing, but refused to sit down.

"Now, you do not know what has been going on in that room. They could just be trying to translate the High D'Haran on his bed." Kahlan replied, not really believing it was true. Cara glared at her, she felt like she had just been scolded by one of her teachers at the Confessor's Palace.

"Mother Confessor, I know you don't believe that. I can't believe I did this to Berdine. He said, 'don't worry. I won't hurt her.' You know what that means, Mother Confessor. He's probably torturing her, or – "

Kahlan stopped her from helping Kahlan visualize her fears for Berdine. "Cara, everything will be alright. He has to get bored a some point." Cara gripped her Agiel and gave her a glare that didn't seem at all reprimanding. It seemed dangerous.

Kahlan felt bad after she said it, and tried to apologize, "Cara . . . I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I know that this is hard for you." Kahlan said, remembering the times that she had been put in the same situation. It always felt like a betrayal, no matter how many times you tried to reconcile it in your mind.

The door smashed open.

A black haired Mord – Sith burst through the door, her dark eyes looked wild. Cara backed as far a she could to the wall; her hands were open in front of her. She didn't look scared, but sad, like she had expected this. Kahlan moved to get up.

"Raina I –"

The Mord – Sith, Raina punched Cara on the jaw. Cara didn't make a sound as it landed. Kahlan thought that it had to have broken her jaw, but Cara didn't seem to notice it.

Raina punched Cara again in the stomach, then again and again. She slowly broke down into tears and Cara took her in her arms to comfort her. Kahlan had no idea what was going on.

"I'm sorry." Cara whispered, "I'm sorry." She said into the sobbing Raina's hair over and over again.

Kahlan had never seen Cara have so much emotion. Her face was hard, but Kahlan could see the tears threatening to surface in her eyes. Raina was still crying, but she had calmed down a little. The Mord – Sith was the first Kahlan had seen cry.

"Cara," the Mord – Sith reluctantly turned from Raina to look at Kahlan. "Who is this?"

Raina had stopped crying now. She looked up at Cara who was still holding her. Cara sighed. "This is Raina. She and Berdine, well."

"Oh," Kahlan said. "I see."

There was a bruise forming on Cara's jaw, and Kahlan knew there would be others that you couldn't see. Kahlan knew why Raina was frustrated, but she had never experience love and could not empathize with the woman.

"Raina," Kahlan said after seeing the haunted look in Cara's eyes. "I'm sure that Berdine will be fine. Lord Rahl just needed some help translating something."

"They're in his bedroom." Raina sounded like she might break into tears again.

"Yes," Cara jumped in, "but the Mother Confessor and I both saw D'Haran writing on his head board. They are probably just working on the translation." Kahlan thought Cara was a convincing liar, seeing as how she had adamantly denied this theory a few minutes ago when Kahlan had voiced it.

Raina looked to Kahlan for assurance. "Yes, I'm sure they are just working on the translation." Cara's glare reinforced Kahlan's belief that she was a horrible liar, but Raina seemed to buy the lie.

Cara helped Raina to her feet as Kahlan looked over to the two papers on her desk. Rahl didn't even let her run the entire staff of the devotion maintenance team. It always depressed her to think of it.

Just as the Mord – Sith regained their composure, a soldier appeared at the door. "Mistress Cara," He said, his fist jumped to his heart in salute. "I have news from the scouts."

Cara gave Kahlan a discrete look and walked out of the room, it took a lot of effort with three people in the room, to talk to the scout. Kahlan was surprised she didn't know what this was about. Cara usually told her everything.

Raina still looked incredibly sad. "I'm sure that she's fine." Kahlan said, trying to make her feel better.

"I hope so. She doesn't deserve to go through that again." Raina said.

"Go through what?" Kahlan had a feeling she knew.

"When, Lord Rahl's brother was in power. He . . . found out about our . . . relationship and called us to his bed, to humiliate us. He called Berdine more than me. He needed her help more." Raina looked at a red pillow with her eyes watery. Lost in thought.

"I'm sorry that you went through that Raina." Kahlan said. She couldn't imagine what it would be like. Darken Rahl had been a worse tyrant than Richard Rahl. Richard had just started his reign, however.

Cara came back into the room. She looked like she wasn't seeing anything.

"I . . . I'll have to talk to you later, Mother Confessor. I must go. I'm sorry Raina." Cara said fear coloring her voice.

"Cara," she stopped, "Where are you going?"

"I have to see Lord Rahl."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Richard was so glad he had found Berdine. Not only did she know High D'Haran, which was part of their main purpose when spending time together, but also she seemed to accept him as he was now, not who she thought he was before. It help that she had never actually spent time with Richard except for a few times when he was walking around the Palace and he had asked her a question. She had immediately come to accept him as a different person than the Lord Rahl everybody else thought he was.

They had mostly stayed in the large garden, which Berdine had called the Garden of Life, and his bedroom. She was trying to teach him High D'Haran. He seemed to be very good at it, for he learned the difficult language fast. They had also translated the message on the headboard, but Richard didn't want to think about that right now.

Berdine and Richard were feeding chipmunks in the Garden of Life at the moment. Berdine would hold out her hand and let a chipmunk nibble the seeds out of it. Richard always smiled when the chipmunks approached her. It represented the childhood she had never had.

Richard heard a fight break out behind the doors into the garden. The guards had been told to allow no one in. As far as he knew no one had tried to come see him. Berdine's smile disappeared as she took her Agiel out. Richard brought out the sword, expecting to hear the metallic ring, but it didn't sound. The magic wasn't there, but it only threw him for a second.

Richard heard a man cry out in pain, and then another. The doors burst open and Cara, standing in the middle of the doors, confused him. She didn't need to fight to get into the garden. Richard lowered the sword, almost putting it away, when Berdine pushed him out of the way to meet a possible attack from Cara that Richard thought was absurd.

"Berdine, what are you doing?" Richard said quietly.

Berdine looked confused by Richard's statement. Cara looked confused as well, but not by Richard. Cara put her Agiel away slowly, and upon Richard's stare, Berdine put hers away as well.

"Hello, Cara. Is there something that I can help you with?" Richard asked, looking around Berdine.

"Um, yes, Lord Rahl. I got a report back about the scouts you requested me to send." She said, trying to tell him, but not Berdine.

"The scout you sent to Agaden Reach?" Berdine asked Richard quietly, who nodded.

"What did the scout find out Cara?" Richard asked in a loud voice, because Cara was still several feet away, near the door.

"He found the person you wanted. She is living in the same place you said she would be. The scout said that she was waiting for him, and told him to deliver a message to you." Cara stopped. Richard knew something was wrong. Cara hadn't called him Lord Rahl, and she had stopped telling the story on her own.

Richard walked around Berdine, towards Cara. She looked very frightened, but it wasn't because of him. He came up to her and gave her a hug. Cara tensed up only a little bit, but then she sank into Richard's shoulder. Berdine stood behind him with her mouth open.

"Cara, what was the message?"

Cara went rigid in Richard's arms. Her eyes glossed over, but continued to stare straight into Richard's eyes, seemingly penetrating to his soul. Cara's arm, stiff as a board, came up to touch Richard's forehead. He heard Berdine scream, but it was cut off by his unexpected loss of senses. The world turned white. All he could feel was Cara's stiff figure on his fore head.

Suddenly her finger was torn away and Richard fell into darkness.

**Author's Note: Tomorrow there will not be a chapter. I've decided to not post on Sunday's because it gives me a day to sit down and just write, and then I can get ahead for the week. On Monday the next chapter will be up. Sorry this was posted so late. **

**IndependenceDayChild17**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Richard was back in eternity.

It wasn't quite as comforting as it had been before. Something was off, the darkness was more real, and he knew he was awake. This eternity felt man-made. There was pain everywhere. It was a tingling sensation on his skin, and he knew that if he moved at all, the pain would rush into him.

He felt a familiar presence behind him, but the pain created a barrier and he couldn't tell whom it was. He wanted to turn and look, but he wouldn't be able to see in the darkness, and the pain would rush into him.

Richard saw a pinpoint of light before it streamed over him, blinding his eyes. The pain, still tingling across his skin, seemed to intensify. He heard a voice, but didn't recognize it. It was distorted by the presence of the pain, like a thick wall.

"Will you come to fight me, Richard?" the voice asked. "Do you think you can win?"

Richard wanted to tell the voice that he didn't know who he was, that he wasn't the Richard that the voice was looking for.

"Do you wish to go back to your own world, Richard?" Maybe he was the right Richard.

"I've left you the message that will help you find me. If you think you are ready." The voice seemed to laugh at him, but it was a rasping sound that made the hairs on the back of Richard's neck stand up.

"Come, Richard." The voice seemed to be taunting him. "Come find me, right now."

Richard's anger had grown to such an extreme that he wasn't seeing clearly. This was a message from Shota. Shota had sent him to this world where his wife and friends hated him. He had to go home. He didn't want to be here anymore. Richard was filled with a sudden need to attack the voice.

He moved.

The pain charged into him. He couldn't feel anything. The voice was laughing at him; it's raspy quality making him angry. His anger didn't last long. He soon forgot everything but the pain.

It was like fire in his veins, but ice in his arteries. His body felt like it was tearing itself apart. It was worse than an Agiel.

He saw a shadow in the light, but couldn't tell what it was. He felt nothing but the pain. The voice whispered in his ear.

"Goodbye, bringer of death."

**Author's Note: Sorry about how short this chapter is, but does anyone have an idea on who the voice is?**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Kahlan had been sitting in her office when the guards had come. The woman, Denna, had been with them. Kahlan had tried to ask them what they were doing, but a hit from her Agiel had kept Kahlan silent the rest of the way to the prison cells on the lowest level of the People's Palace. Kahlan could still feel the pain of the Agiel where she had been stabbed.

She had been in the cell for about an hour, when they had through a badly beaten Cara into the cell same cell. Kahlan didn't know what was happening, but Cara was unconscious. She was bruised all over, all of them were black, and she had multiple cuts on her face. Her brown leather was half way ripped open.

Kahlan tried to ease the injuries with the slim amount of water that had been given to her a little while before Cara had been dumped into the cell. Kahlan wished that she could do more, but her resources were limited. She had tried to get a guard to help her, but he had smirked at Cara's exposed, beaten body and told Kahlan to be quiet, adding a threat to the command.

Kahlan sat hopelessly and restlessly against the wall after moving Cara to the bed. She hoped that Cara would wake up. She continuously checked her pulse, hoping she wouldn't die.

After a few hours, Cara started to stir, and Kahlan rushed to her side. Kahlan had tried to cover Cara with the blanket. She hadn't been able to replace the leather, because Cara had moaned in pain when the leather had touched her skin.

"Mother Confessor?" Cara said, opening her eyes slightly, but quickly shutting them against the candlelight.

"I'm here Cara. Your okay." Kahlan said quietly.

Cara laughed, but it turned into a cough. "I'm not okay, Mother Confessor."

Kahlan gave her a weak smile. "You will be."

Cara sat up, and took the blanket with her after discovering her nudity. "What happened?" She asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me. Denna came into my office and dragged me down here. The last thing you told me was something about seeing Rahl." Kahlan finished.

"Oh, I remember that conversation a little. I went to see Lord Rahl I guess. I don't remember anything very well after talking to that messenger." Cara said, scrunching her eyebrows together, trying to remember.

"What happened after that?" Kahlan asked wanting to gain more information.

"Well, the first thing I remember after that was . . . looking up into Lord Rahl's eyes. They were dead looking. His irises had turned grey, and his whole body was stiff. It looked like he was . . . hugging me." Kahlan looked at her in disbelief.

"The next thing I knew, Berdine was tackling me. I was on the floor, and Lord Rahl had fallen to the ground. His arms hadn't moved from their position when I was in them. He looked like a statue."

"Berdine tackled you? In defense of Rahl?" Cara nodded. "I don't believe it."

"It's true Mother Confessor."

"Well, what happened after that?" Kahlan asked.

"Denna." Cara stated as if it should explain everything.

"So, she did this to you? Not Rahl." Kahlan asked surprised.

"Yes, the last thing I saw of Lord Rahl was him on the ground of the Garden of Life, looking like a statue, as medical staff rushed around him."

"That would explain why we're in here." Kahlan whispered to herself. "You don't know what happened after you talked to the messenger?" she asked.

"No, but I think I killed some guards. As Denna dragged me out of the Garden of Life, I saw four dead men outside the door. It wasn't pretty." Cara seemed better. Kahlan had thought her behavior had been strange after talking with the messenger, but she had brushed it off as fear of interrupting Rahl when he was . . . being helped.

"Did she say anything?" Kahlan asked.

"Yes," Cara paused thinking; "Denna said something about an assassination attempt, and that she was glad that her Agiel was working. I wasn't paying that much attention."

Kahlan gave her a weak smile, "Sorry, I guess you weren't. So, they think you tried to kill Rahl. I thought you weren't able to do that."

Cara looked at Kahlan for a second before answering. "That's what I told you. I could try to kill him, Mother Confessor, but I would just end up dead." Kahlan was shocked. Cara had told her that the bond prevented her from killing the Lord Rahl, but that wasn't true. Kahlan understood why she had lied though. Cara was right; Rahl would have just killed her after she ultimately failed in her assassination attempt. It would not be a pleasant death.

"Well, I'm glad that she didn't kill you." Kahlan said.

"I'm sure she just wanted to let Lord Rahl do it. She probably thought he would be mad if he didn't get to torture me to death." Cara said this with such a calm manner, that Kahlan was all the more worried for her life.

"You didn't try to kill him, though, did you?" Cara rolled her eyes.

"I'm not stupid, Mother Confessor. Besides, I would have told you if I had a plan to kill him. I'd want you to escape. Not end up in a dungeon cell with me."

"You mean like we are right now?" Kahlan asked, smiling.

Cara rolled her eyes. "Yes, but I didn't try to kill – "

"Dinner." A guard interrupted her while pushing a tray of food through the door.

Kahlan looked over at him, he was big and blonde. He didn't look very interesting, just a regular D'Haran guard, but Cara was staring at him.

"Benjamin." She whispered, and stood up. The blanket fell to the ground, but she didn't seem to care. "What are you doing here?" Kahlan didn't know who he was, but Cara seemed very comfortable around him.

He looked to Cara's ripped open leather. "I can get you some more comfortable clothes if you want." He whispered.

"You didn't answer my question." Cara used her Mord – Sith tone, but it didn't seem to faze the man.

"Cara, I'm going to get you out of here." He said. Kahlan was surprised that he had called her Cara. Most D'Haran's called Mord – Sith 'Mistress.'

"No." The man's face looked pained at Cara's statement. "I don't want anything to happen to you. You will not risk your life for me." She seemed to order him like he was her pet, but he didn't act like a pet.

"Cara, I'm not going to leave you here to get tortured to death."

"I won't die then." Cara said simply. "You need to leave. You're not supposed to be down here."

"Cara, please."

"No." Then she whispered something to him that Kahlan couldn't hear, and he replied in the same low voice and walked away.

Cara looked extremely sad as she came back over to the bed and sat down. Kahlan couldn't help, but ask, "Who was that?"

Cara looked into her eyes for a moment before deciding what to say. Kahlan could tell it was a lie.

"Just a friend."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Richard was naked again, in the same bed that he had woken up in the first time. He still didn't like the room, and the fact that he hadn't taken all of his clothes off himself was unsettling, knowing that Kahlan hadn't been the one to take them off.

He could still feel a phantom of the pain from the message, and the tingling sensation on his skin. He wondered if Cara was okay. Then he realized that the guards would think she had tried to kill him. He sat up quickly.

His body protested against the pain, which flared up when he sat. His eyes swam, and he felt nauseous.

"Lord Rahl," He heard someone exclaim when he sat up. "Lord Rahl, please you must lay down. His sight cleared a little and he recognized Berdine was at his side.

"Berdine," He said pushing her hand on his chest away, she had been trying to push him back down. "What's going on, what happened?"

"Cara tried to kill you, Lord Rahl. I'm sorry that I allowed her to get close to you. I have failed you, and I know that. I just wanted to make sure you were okay before – "

"You didn't fail me, Berdine." He interrupted her. "I don't think Cara tried to kill me either." Richard sighed. "Where is she?"

Berdine swallowed, "Denna put her in the dungeon with the Mother Confessor."

"What!" Richard's anger exploded, but he brought it under control quickly. "Sorry Berdine." He said when she shrank back in fear. "Can you help me go see them?"

"Lord Rahl, you are not supposed to move, or even sit up. The medical staff told me that if you woke . . ." Berdine trailed off after seeing Richard push his blanket away and try to get up. He didn't remember until too late that he was naked.

"Now, Berdine" Richard said pulling the sheet back over himself. "You can either bring me my clothes and turn around while I put them on and help me go down to the dungeons, or you can leave. Either way I'll make it down there."

Berdine considered for only a second, and then walked over to his clothes and brought them back. "You are going to make me turn around, Lord Rahl?" She joked innocently.

He gave her a glare and she turned around, but he smiled while putting his clothes on. His nausea was gone and his vision had cleared, but the pain, while lessened remained. It wasn't anything close to the pain in the message however.

"Come on." He said, and she turned around. "Lead the way to the dungeons."

"Very well, Lord Rahl." Berdine said, sighing.

It took a while to walk to the dungeons; there were many stairs, and he had to stop once because of the pain. Also a few soldiers wanted to talk to him, and it took a little bit of time for Berdine to threaten them away. Finally, they arrived at the dungeon entrance.

The guard on duty was very compliant when the Lord Rahl asked him for directions to Cara and the Mother Confessor's cell and the keys to open it. Richard didn't make it very far to their cell before he bumped into another soldier who wanted to talk to him, literally.

The D'Haran was looking down at his boots, and somehow rammed into Richard as he walked by. The pain, that had been present since the message, flared up again and brought Richard to his knees. Berdine wasted no time, and in the next second, the D'Haran was on the ground next to Richard, being pushed down by Berdine's Agiel.

Richard, the pain slowly seeping out of him, brought his hand up to stop Berdine from killing the man. His screams stopped as Richard slowly brought her Agiel down to her side. "It's okay, Berdine. It was just an accident."

The soldier seemed to regain his composure, and noticed who he had run into. "Lord Rahl, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you. I – " Richard raised his hand to cut him off, and he stared at the ground as Berdine helped Richard to his feet.

"It's alright Captain Meiffert. I didn't see you till the last second, and Berdine seemed to miss you altogether." Richard said offering his hand to the soldier.

"Lord Rahl I – " Berdine tried to protest, but Richard ignored her.

"What are you doing down her Captain, I thought you were with the Special Forces branch, they don't operate down here do they?" Richard thought he knew why the Captain was down here, but wanted to know what he would tell the Lord Rahl.

"Um, I was trying to report my findings to Mistress Cara." Richard was sure that Meiffert wasn't reporting anything. 

"You haven't seen her since a week ago, Captain?" Richard asked.

"No, Lord Rahl. She is very busy and had a hard time finding time for my report." Meiffert looked between Berdine and Richard almost imperceptibly fast.

"I see." Richard said, "Well, come with us. We are headed there right now. I'm sure that you will be able to tell her your report when we get there."

"Lord Rahl, I couldn't. You must be wanting a private meeting with her, and I wouldn't want to in – "

"Captain, I insist." Richard said, pushing him along in front of him, but behind Berdine.

Meiffert seemed to recognize that he couldn't get out of the situation. "Thank you, Lord Rahl. I didn't think I would ever get to deliver my report."

"Captain, do you know why Cara's down here?" Richard asked.

A frightened look past across Meiffert's face for a second, but it quickly disappeared. "I assumed she was questioning someone, Lord Rahl."

Richard nodded. He had detected the lie. Meiffert cared more about Cara than he was letting on. He had had plenty of time to deliver that report, and if it were as urgent as he made it seem, Cara wouldn't have just put it off.

Soon, they were at the cell, and Berdine snatched the keys away from Richard, saying something about protecting the Lord Rahl. Richard let her open the door and go into the cell first. He heard a surprised cry of 'Berdine' that sounded like Cara. He also pushed Meiffert in front of him, and heard Cara cry 'Benjamin.'

He walked into the room knowing for sure that there was something going on between Cara and Meiffert. He ducked his head to go through the low doorway, and as he entered he saw Cara's face go ashen and Kahlan's eyes widen. "Lord Rahl."

Chaos ensued.

**Author's Note: There will most likely not be a chapter tomorrow, because I have band camp this week. If there isn't one tomorrow, I'll try to post on Sunday. Sorry, I've just gotten really busy.**


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Chaos broke out in the cell. Kahlan had lunged at Richard, but been intercepted by Berdine, the Captain had rushed to Cara's side, and Cara had tried to fall into the devotion. Richard tried to back out of the cell, but hit his head on the top of the doorway. The pain rushed through him again, and he fell to his knees with a scream that silenced everyone for a full three seconds.

Berdine rushed to his side, while Meiffert held Kahlan away from Richard, and Cara had given up the devotion and was sitting, confused, on the ground. The pain dribbled away until it was a phantom once again and Richard stood up, watching his head.

After he stood, Kahlan stopped fighting the Captain and her fists went to her sides. Cara seemed to think that standing was a good idea when Lord Rahl stood, and Meiffert slowly backed away from Kahlan to stand next to Cara, but between Richard and Kahlan. Berdine stood next to him.

"Well, that was interesting." Berdine said quietly, but the cell had become dead silent.

Richard heard feet pounding down the hall and carefully stuck his head out the doorway to see who it was. There were four guards running down the hall. "Stay here." He told the four people in the cell, and walked out to talk to the guards, making sure to bend his head as he went through the doorway.

"Lord Rahl." The guards said as the saluted, the fists going to their hearts. One of the guards continued, "We heard a scream, and wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Yes, that was very thoughtful of you, but I have everything under control. You can go back to your duties now." Richard said.

"We sent someone for Mistress Denna after you came. Is that alright, Lord Rahl?" The soldier seemed too sure that it was what Richard wanted.

"Just send her away when she gets here." Richard said, not wanting to be anywhere near Denna.

The soldier looked shocked for a moment, "As you wish, Lord Rahl." He saluted with the rest of his men and they walked away. Richard walked back to the cell slowly. He knew that Berdine wouldn't let anyone out of the cell until he returned.

"Berdine I didn't try to kill Lord Rahl." Cara was saying as he walked into the cell.

"I know you didn't Cara." Richard responded. "That's not what the message was meant for."

"The message, Lord Rahl?" Berdine asked confused.

"Yes, Cara had a message for me, but it wasn't from her. I think it was sent to taunt me." Richard told them. Kahlan didn't appear to be listening, but everyone else seemed to want to know what evidence proved Cara innocent.

"Taunting you, Lord Rahl? I don't know anyone who would dare to taunt you." Captain Meiffert said. "However, I don't know why Mistress Cara would try to kill you." He backtracked, thinking that denying that anyone else would taunt him would return suspicion to Cara.

Richard saw Kahlan's mouth move, and Cara who was standing a little closer, cave her a hot glare. "Did you say something, Kahlan?" Richard asked.

Kahlan looked at him, amazed that he had spoken to her, "No I did not, Richard."

"Oh, okay." He replied, not wanting to push her even though he knew she had said something. "I think I need to go visit Shota." Richard concluded getting back to his original topic.

"Shota? This witch woman?" Kahlan said not able to keep herself from speaking anymore. She looked afraid after she said it. She looked like she was expecting some kind of punishment; her eyes dropped to the floor and her back subconsciously touched the wall.

"Yes." Richard said, trying to make her feel more at ease. "Do you know anything about her?"

Kahlan slowly looked into his eyes. "The people of the Midlands feared her. Everyone in the Midlands feared her. I never met her personally, but I don't know of many people who did and lived through it."

Richard wanted to tell her that Shota had been interfering with their lives since he had been named Seeker and that he wasn't afraid of the witch woman, but he didn't get the chance, she probably wouldn't have believed him anyway.

"Lord Rahl, if this woman is as dangerous as the Mother Confessor says, I don't think you should go to see her." Cara said, trying to make up for earlier. "We can send the Dragon Corps to take her prisoner."

"Dragon Corps. Ha." The Captain said. "I can lead the mission, Lord Rahl. My Special Forces will be able to sneak into her lair and drag her out of bed with out her wakening up." Richard didn't miss the pleading look that Cara gave him as he was speaking.

"No, I need to visit Shota myself. She will be unhappy if we drag her out here, and I would not like to upset this woman." Richard said, and suddenly something Kahlan said hit him, '_I never met her personally, but I don't know of many people who did and lived through it.' _He suddenly couldn't believe he had forgotten one very special, important person.

"Where's Zedd?"


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Richard hadn't thought it was possible for Kahlan to shrink back into the wall anymore than she already had, but at the mention of Zedd, she did.

"Who is Zedd, Lord Rahl?" Captain Meiffert asked. Both of the Mord – Sith looked confused as well.

"Zedd, my grandfather." More confused looks. "Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, wizard of the First Order." Cara and Berdine seemed to know who he was talking about and seemed very uneasy. The Captain however didn't show any reaction to the name.

"We have been trying to capture him since he escaped, Lord Rahl. However we have had very little success locating him." Cara answered. It seemed to be a sore spot for her and he couldn't tell if it was because the Mord-Sith hadn't captured him yet, or they had been dealt punishment because of the failure.

"I still don't know who you are talking about, Lord Rahl." The Captain said. He didn't seem to think that saying this would cause him any sort of trouble, but Cara looked pained after he said it.

"You haven't heard of 'The Wind of Death' Captain?" Berdine asked laughingly.

Meiffert looked suddenly surprised. " 'The Wind of Death' is Lord Rahl's grandfather?" Everyone seemed to have forgotten he was in the room except Kahlan, who was peaking up at him from her gaze on the floor.

Richard cut of the talk from the D' Haran's about 'The Wind of Death' and asked Kahlan. "Do you know where Zedd is?"

Kahlan looked extremely frightened, and Cara again let emotion cross her face in a flash, but Richard didn't have enough time to decipher it.

"Lord Rahl," She said, but her eyes widened when she realized that he had told her to call him Richard. "I mean Rich – " She backtracked.

"It's okay Kahlan, I know you didn't mean to." It still hurt him to hear her call him the 'Lord Rahl' though.

"Richard," Kahlan started again after waiting to see if he really wasn't going to punish her. "I have been here since the day that he escaped, the last time I saw him, I thought he was going to die. I didn't know he had survived until the last time you asked me where he was." She seemed to recall that incident painfully, and Richard didn't like the look that flew over her face.

"You are telling me that you have no idea where my grandfather is?" Richard asked, feeling lost again, now knowing that he couldn't talk to Zedd.

"Lord Rahl, I had never heard that 'The Wind of Death' was your grand father, where did you get such an idea?" Berdine asked.

Richard so badly wanted to explain that he wasn't from this crazy world and that in his he walked all around the Midlands with Zedd, Kahlan, and Cara helping people. He knew that no one, not even Berdine, would believe him if he said this.

"I . . . I found out who my mother was." Richard said, hoping that it would suffice. He could tell that most of the people in the room didn't believe his excuse, but no one voiced an objection.

"Anyways," Richard said, hoping to get off the topic of Zedd until he had a way to find him. "I need you to go with me." He said to all of the people in the room. He didn't know how he felt about the Captain, but he trusted Cara's judgement enough to think that he needed a little more protection than normal. He also didn't want to be alone with three women, two of which severely hated him.

"Lord Rahl, I think we should take more people." Berdine said. "Maybe a Dragon Corps Legion."

The Captain scoffed. "I can take my troops, Lord Rahl. All but two of us are in the palace, and we move stealthier than the Dragon Corps."

"No," Richard said. "We need to have the smallest group possible, and I think that this will be a good size."

Most of the room seemed to have some reason to reject his plan, but his gaze swept over them and they fell silent.

"So it's settled. We'll met out side the palace in two hours. I hope everyone is there." Richard said.

Berdine glanced over Cara and Kahlan. "As you wish, Lord Rahl."


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Kahlan didn't know what to do. Benjamin Meiffert who had promised Berdine that they would see her outside the palace in two hours had taken Cara. This left Kahlan alone with the Mord – Sith and she didn't know what to do. The only Mord – Sith that she had much contact with was Cara and the woman.

"So" Berdine said casually. "You're the Mother Confessor?" Kahlan didn't look from the doorway, still trying to forget the way Rahl had screamed when he hit his head. "I thought you would be . . . No, your exactly how I thought you would be." Berdine's babbling didn't even register in Kahlan's head, until she intruded on her mental image of Rahl and the doorway.

"Well," Berdine said. "Aren't you coming?"

"Of course." Kahlan said and followed her out the door.

"So were do you sleep?" Berdine asked without looking at her.

"I'll show you. Don't you need to go to your room?" Kahlan wanted to be alone. She didn't want to go on this suicide trip with Rahl. He always took at least a Dragon Corps unit when he went places and he usually left her with the woman.

They walked for a little while in silence until Kahlan got up the courage to ask a question.

"Are you okay?" Berdine looked over at her confused. "I mean, he didn't . . . hurt you or anything right?" Kahlan asked cautiously.

Berdine laughed, but it quickly died. "I thought he was going to. I had heard the stories about Lord Rahl. What he does when you're alone with him." Kahlan shivered, trying not to remember those times. "When he appeared in my room I didn't know what to do. He doesn't normally choose another person. That's what I had heard, anyways." Kahlan nodded. "Cara was there, and I knew what had happened. He had forced her to tell her something and it had led to me.

"He sent you away, and I was so scared. I'm not usually scared, Mother Confessor, but when he turned to look at me after you left, and he closed the door" She sighed. "I haven't been scared like that since I was a little girl." Kahlan knew she was talking about being trained.

"He asked me to sit down, and I did, because he is the Lord Rahl. He sat down next to me, and . . . we just talked. He told me things that I still don't really believe, and thing that I know are true. Then he asked me to help him translate the headboard of his bed." Kahlan thought that she must have been scared, but mostly she thought that this didn't sound like Rahl. "I said yes without a second's thought, and I didn't even say, Lord Rahl. He smiled at me, and I wasn't afraid anymore."

"I . . . I don't know what to say, Berdine. I have never had an experience like that with him." Berdine nodded, and Kahlan slowed down as they neared her office.

"He explained everything to me, gave me an answer to every question that I asked." Kahlan opened the door.

"It doesn't make sense though – " Kahlan screamed as an Agiel pressed into her side. She thought it was Berdine, but it was coming from inside the doorway, and Berdine's hands pushed her out of the way.

"What are you doing, Denna?" Berdine growled. Their Agiels were crossed in front of them. Kahlan could hear the Agiels whining as the two Mord – Sith struggled to make the other back down. Kahlan knew who would win this fight though.

"Berdine, how nice to see you again." The woman spoke quietly in her silken voice. Kahlan was disquieted by how calmly she talked while holding the Agiel and pushing it against another.

Berdine didn't respond to the other woman. Her face was masked in concentration, as she tried to keep the woman from moving breaking her Agiel away. Kahlan could see the two Agiels slowly moving closer to Berdine.

"Come on Berdine. It's time to give up now. You don't want to do this with me." The woman stated it as a fact, and Berdine seemed to know that it was.

"Mother Confessor," Berdine said in a quiet voice. "I think you should run."

"I – " Kahlan tried to protest.

"Now!" Berdine's voice was no longer quiet.

Kahlan turned around and ran right into someone. She looked up to see who it was. 

"Richard."


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Rahl was looking down into Kahlan's eyes like she was the most precious thing in the world. It frightened her even more to know that he seemed to be a completely different person than before the so-called 'Agiel Malfunction.' Kahlan knew that the Agiels relied on Rahl being alive to work, even if he had never felt the pain they bring. Something else scared her more than the way he looked into her eyes though. His eyes were gray.

Kahlan was torn away from his eyes when she heard the crack of bones breaking. She turned just in time to she Berdine hit the floor. Denna was already moving towards her again. Kahlan could hear her silken voice saying something, but didn't know what she was saying.

In the next second, Kahlan was thrown against the wall, and she was scared that Rahl had decided to have her punished like Berdine, but he didn't hold her against the wall, like he sometimes did. Rahl was in front of Denna before Kahlan had fully registered what happened.

In his fist was her Agiel.

His face was vaguely scrunched up from the pain, but he had obviously held an Agiel before. Kahlan didn't think one before had ever touched him. Denna didn't seem to remember him with an Agiel either.

"Lord Rahl, your . . . " She trailed off. Her hand let go of the Agiel and she back up two paces to the wall. With Rahl in the room, it was even harder to get around it than if their was one more person in it. Kahlan wanted to run to Berdine, to see if she was all right, but didn't think she would be able to get Rahl to move.

Berdine moaned and the stand off between Rahl and Denna ended.

"Kahlan, do you think you can help Berdine?" His voice was low and tight. He was controlling his anger.

"Yes, but you have to move so I can get to her." Kahlan didn't know why she said that. It seemed like the right thing to say when he was in this state. The old Rahl would have blown up and started hitting her if she had said that to him, this man, Richard, just nodded.

"Lord Rahl, your eyes." Denna whispered. Richard didn't seem to understand what she was talking about, or he didn't care to explain to Denna at the moment.

"Move." He ordered in the same voice that he had spoken in before. She moved before he had even finished saying the word. Kahlan didn't know what was going to happen to Denna, but as much as she wanted Denna to be punished, she didn't want her newfound Richard to do it.

As soon as they were gone, Kahlan rushed over to Berdine. There was a large amount of swelling in her face and one of the biggest blackest bruises she had ever seen. Kahlan thought that Berdine's cheekbone was broken on the right side. She didn't know how to help that.

Richard and Denna hadn't gone very far. She could hear them start to talk outside the room. Kahlan really need to go get a nurse.

"If she dies," Kahlan heard Richard say, still trying to control his anger. "Bad things are going to happen, and I will be very upset." She could imagine him, his knuckles on her Agiel, his gray eyes burning with the mix of pain and anger. She had to admit that he had never looked more handsome than those thirty seconds that Denna and Richard had faced off.

"Lord Rahl," Denna's silken voice didn't sound as much like silk anymore. "I was just doing what I thought you would want. I thought that the prisoners had escaped, and I needed to stop them."

"Denna," Richard's voice lost its anger in that one word, and he sighed. It sounded like he had almost called her 'mistress.' However his next sentence was just as intense. "You wrongly accused Cara of trying to kill, and with no evidence incarcerated Kahlan as well."

"They conspirer together, Lord Rahl. You told me if I ever arrested one of them to arrest both." Kahlan couldn't believe Denna was arguing with Richard.

"You need more proof. The last time I saw Cara she looked like a walking bruise." Kahlan heard Denna try to say something, but Richard cut her off. "Do not tell me that I told you to do that to Cara. I was unconscious while this was happening. You left me in Berdine's care, and now you attack her. Maybe you are the conspirator, Denna." The whole time Richard had kept his voice low, while Denna's voice had increasingly gotten louder.

"Lord Rahl, I have served you faithfully, even when it came at great harm to myself. If you wish to kill me then at least do it honorably." Denna had suddenly regained her composure.

"I'm not going to kill you, Denna." Richard said, and he was suddenly in the room with Kahlan again. "How is she?"

He walked over to her and saw her face. "She needs a healer. Denna." He said quietly, and she was at the doorway. "Go get a healer, and bring them here." Kahlan thought Denna would argue, but she ran off without a second thought.

Richard slumped against the wall and closed his eyes. Kahlan wanted him to open his eyes, so she could see the beautiful gray color that they had never been before. He opened them suddenly and looked directly into her eyes, and for once she didn't fell the necessity to turn them away.

"What's wrong with my eyes?" He asked her quietly. The anger was gone from his voice and he looked tired. She noticed that Denna's Agiel was on the floor next to him.

Kahlan almost answered nothing, but thought better of it at the last minute. That was probably not the answer he was looking for. "They're gray."

He gave her a small smile. "Everyone's worried because my eyes are gray. People should be more worried about Berdine, and Cara . . . and you." He added softly.

He slowly moved his hand to touch her, and she didn't flinch back. His hand moved on her jaw and he leaned forward. Kahlan knew that he wanted to kiss her. Kiss her romantically, and softly. She didn't think she was ready for that, but she found herself leaning towards him too.

However they didn't kiss. Their moment was interrupted by a plaintive call of "Berdine."


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Kahlan stood up quickly, and almost fell back down, but her hand landed on Richard's shoulder. She quickly remembered a time when she would have rather fallen than touch him, but now his muscled shoulder felt nice in her hand.

Raina was standing in the doorway. She looked like she wanted to run to Berdine, but her eyes kept flickering to Richard. She was afraid of him. Kahlan didn't know how anyone could be afraid of Richard, but realized that she had been not an hour before.

"It's okay Raina. Come see Berdine." Kahlan said softly.

Richard hadn't moved from his spot on the floor, so Kahlan went to sit by him as Raina cautiously walked towards her. Raina fell to her knees when she reached Berdine. Kahlan grabbed Richard's hand and pulled out of the office. Raina needed to be alone with her.

"Who is that?" Richard asked as they got farther from the doorway. Kahlan didn't want Raina to hear them talking.

"That is Raina."

"She is a Mord – Sith." Richard didn't seem to know what else to say.

"Yes." Kahlan paused, trying to decide whether or not to tell Richard. "They love each other."

Richard looked shocked for a moment, and Kahlan thought she might have made the wrong choice, but then he smiled. "That's great." Kahlan felt tension run out of her shoulders. "I'm glad that more than one Mord – Sith has found some sort of love."

"More than one?" Kahlan said, confused. She didn't know many of the Mord – Sith personally, however, she thought that she would know better than Richard about the Mord – Sith personal lives.

"You don't . . . Never mind. Forget I said anything." Kahlan's mouth opened to protest, and Richard laughed at her.

"What? What is so funny?" She demanded. 

"I was thinking about how you're the Mother Confessor and are supposed to be able to read people, and you don't know who I'm talking about." He was still smiling, and it made him look more handsome than when he was angry, and she was trying to be angry with him, but was failing.

"You can't do this to people Richard." Kahlan said, giving up on being angry and smiling,

"Do what?" Richard's smile seemed to have gotten bigger.

"I don't know. Dangle the truth in front of their faces and snap it back before they've had time to process." Kahlan said.

"'Snap it back.' Hum, I think I like that." Kahlan made an exasperated noise, and Richard's smile grew even bigger. He pulled her in to a hug unexpectedly, and it was one of the best moments of her life. "I'm so glad you're not afraid anymore." He whispered into her hair.

"Me too." She answered. She didn't think he had heard her though.

"Lord Rahl?" Somebody asked, but Kahlan couldn't tell who it was. Richard let the hug last a few seconds longer before turning to the intruder on their moment.

"Did you find a healer, Denna?" Kahlan was suddenly fully aware of her surroundings. Denna had seen Richard and Kahlan hugging. She would have settled for anyone but Denna intruding into the moment they shared.

"Yes, Lord Rahl. He's inside right now." Denna looked tired, and her braid was undone. She looked like she had run to the healers and back.

"Is Raina still in there?" Denna looked a little surprised by his question.

"Yes, Lord Rahl."

"Send her out here please. The healer will need as much space as possible."

"As you wish Lord Rahl." She said and turned to go back into Kahlan's office.

Kahlan wondered why Richard really wanted to see Raina. The fact that Richard had summoned her would have scared her, and she probably thought that Richard had inflicted the wound on Berdine.

It took some time for Raina to come out of the room. If Richard noticed, he didn't comment. Kahlan was sure that Richard had noticed, he noticed everything. When she did come out, she looked scared.

"Raina." Richard said softly, but Kahlan knew Berdine had heard him.

"Lord Rahl." She said. Her voice quivered, but she didn't even try to say the devotion.

"Raina, I didn't hurt Berdine. She is a friend and I have done nothing to harm her ever. The Mother Confessor and I must leave soon. Berdine was going to go with us; however, I don't think that is a good idea now. I want you to watch Denna for me. She is the one that hurt Berdine." Kahlan didn't think Raina would believe any of what Richard said, but she was wrong.

"Of course, Lord Rahl. Denna will die if she tries to hurt anyone." Raina's voice had become hard and cold.

"No." Raina's face almost looked sad. "If she hurts anyone, I want you to arrest her. I . . . I think that I need to be there when she dies." Kahlan looked down when Richard's hand grasped hers.

"Of course, Lord Rahl." Raina said, and without being dismissed, she went back into Kahlan's office.

"Why do you need to be there when Denna dies?" Kahlan asked.

Richard didn't answer for a long time; so long that Kahlan didn't think he would answer. He turned around finally and looked her directly in the eyes. There was pain and confusion in his grey eyes and Kahlan felt the need to comfort him.

"Denna was my mistress."


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"What?" Kahlan said. She had never heard that Richard had been trained. In fact, Cara had said a few things about how he had never been trained.

"I . . . It doesn't matter. I don't really know how to explain this to you." His grey eyes had lost the pain she had seen in them.

"No. You can't just drop that on me and expect me to forget about it, Richard." Kahlan was about to go into to a tirade on how it aggravated her when he did that, but he cut her off.

"Kahlan," He sighed. "You won't believe me if I tell you the truth, and I won't tell you a lie. I just want you to trust me. I promise that I'll explain everything when we get out of this place."

Kahlan wanted to be angry with him. It had been so easy when he had only been Rahl in her mind. Now he was Richard, and even if she tried she could stay mad at him for very long.

"Okay. Lets go see if Cara and that soldier are waiting for us." Richard smiled and Kahlan wanted him to kiss her, but he turned around before she could move in.

When they got to the meeting place they were late and Cara and the Captain were already there. Richard made her slow down and listen to their conversation. Kahlan wanted to protest that it wasn't right to spy on friends, but didn't know if Richard considered Cara a friend.

"Do you think he knows?" Cara asked the Captain.

"Lord Rahl?" He paused for an answer and then went on. "I don't think so. I told him that I had to give you a report. I think he believed me."

"You what? You told, Lord Rahl a lie. Benjamin, do you know what he does to people who tell him lies?"

"No, but – "

"It's one of the things that he'll kill you for on the first offense. He considers it a crime before treason!"

"Calm down. He won't find out. I promise you. Everything will be okay." Benjamin said softly.

Richard looked at Kahlan and whispered, "Now do you know who I'm talking about?" Kahlan nodded and followed Richard into the clearing.

"Cara, Captain Meiffert," Richard said, ignoring that Cara and Benjamin were pulling out of a hug. "Berdine will not be joining us. She was injured by Denna, but she will be okay." Kahlan noticed how Cara tensed up when Richard had said Berdine was injured. She hadn't relaxed since.

"Lord Rahl," Meiffert spoke up, "If Mistress Berdine will not be joining us, I think we should take another person with us. With the Mother Confessor without her power and weaponless, you will not have very much protection."

Kahlan had completely forgotten about the Rada' Han around her neck. She hadn't even thought about having a weapon on this trip, which she still considered a suicide mission. The only person she had ever known to live after visiting the witch woman was Zedd.

"I have thought about that and I have an idea as to how to fix the problem." Richard said. He pulled out two knives that Kahlan thought were beautiful. They looked like knives she would have picked out for her self to fight with.

Richard turned to Kahlan, his eyes penetrating in to her, trying to determine if he was making a mistake. He held the knives out to her. Captain Meiffert sprinted over to them.

"Lord Rahl, I think your making a mistake." Cara was silent, but Richard specifically turned to look at her and not the Captain.

"I trust her with my life." Was his only answer, and then Kahlan was holding the knives and she hadn't felt that good since before being captured by Rahl. She vaguely noticed that Richard was pulling something else out of his pack, because she was staring at the weapons that felt perfect in her hands.

"Kahlan." She heard Richard's voice and looked up at him. He held up what was in his hand and she couldn't have been more surprised.

Looking directly into her eyes holding the key of the Rada' Han in his hand he whispered something she never thought she would hear from the Lord Rahl of D' Hara.

"I love you."


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Richard couldn't believe he had just told Kahlan he loved her. She looked confused and a little frightened by his words, and she had taken a step back from him. Captain Meiffert's mouth was hanging open, and Cara had suddenly stood up straighter.

Richard had thought about saying it ever since they had almost kissed over Berdine. He had decided that it wouldn't be right, since he wasn't exactly sure if she still hated him or not. He hadn't meant to tell Kahlan he loved her, but he was so excited when she was starting to act like the Kahlan he knew, that it had slipped out.

"What?" Kahlan had whispered. Her hands had dropped to her sides.

Richard didn't know what to say. "I . . . Kahlan . . . I don't – " He was saved by Cara which surprised him.

"Lord Rahl, maybe we should discuss this when you are in a safer position. We are open targets out her with no protection."

Meiffert immediately jumped in and took charge. "Yes, she's right. We must get out of the open. You have an extremely limited amount of protection now that we are out side the palace."

Cara went on ahead of the rest of them and Meiffert securely but gently took Kahlan's arm and dragged her away. Richard was left standing alone in the clearing, but Cara was there in less than a minute to collect him. "Lord Rahl, we have to move. It is not safe to stay in one position to long."

Richard began walking and Cara followed him. Giving him course corrections in the shortest amount of words possible. Richard was distracted with the fact that Cara had jumped in to protect Richard from answering Kahlan's question.

Cara gave him another course correction and he decided to pay attention. He could clearly see Kahlan and Meiffert's tracks. He was a woods guide. He should be able to follow two people who weren't covering their tracks easily. Cara gave him no more course corrections after he began to pay attention, and they quickly caught up to Kahlan and Meiffert.

They walked in pairs now. Richard and Meiffert in front and Cara and Kahlan in the back. Richard wouldn't have minded walking next to Meiffert if the entire caravan wasn't dead silent. They continued on like this for the rest of the day, and Richard was tired of it. Silence, while it could be a good thing, was not necessary in this situation, and it was making Richard itchy.

After Richard found a nice spot to set up camp, he spoke for the first time since his failed attempt at explaining to Kahlan why he had said, 'I love you.'

"I'm going hunting."

Everyone started speaking at once and Richard didn't understand a word of it. Richard raised his hand, ready to start saying things to get them to be quiet, however, all it took was his hand.

"Okay, so I'm going to go hunt now." They all almost talked again, but Cara spoke first.

"Lord Rahl, we have brought food from the palace so that we may eat with out hunting."

"Yes, but there is no way that the two of you could have packed enough food for the entire trip. I appreciate the effort, but I would rather save the food from the palace for some place where we can't catch any game." Richard explained slowly.

"Well, Mistress Cara and I can go hunting, Lord Rahl. You should rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and we need everyone at their full strength." Meiffert said, and Richard felt like he was being treated as a child.

"Captain, do you know how to hunt?" Richard asked, but Meiffert didn't answer. "I know that Cara doesn't know how to hunt, however, I don't know about your skills. Since you all seem so worried about my protection, you can come hunt with me." He was trying to compromise, but realized that he would be leaving Cara and Kahlan alone.

"Richard," Kahlan said quietly. She was sitting on a log and had started a small fire while the D' Harans and him had been talking. "Why don't you go hunting by your self so that we might actually catch something tonight."

Richard smiled at Kahlan, and then turned to Cara and Meiffert. "So it's settled, I'll go hunting, and you can set up camp. Oh, Kahlan." He said, remembering all the times he had had burnt soup, "Don't let Cara cook."

Richard walked away, but out of the corner of his eye he could see Cara rolling her eyes at Kahlan, and heard a slight giggle escape from her lips.

Richard thought tomorrow would be better.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Kahlan's mind was still reeling over what Richard had said that morning, but after a day to think about it, she was starting to accept it. Richard had never treated her like Rahl had, even if she still wasn't sure if they were the same person or not. Some how, she knew that they weren't the same. Something had changed in him, and Kahlan thought that it had something to do with the Agiel Malfunction.

"So, Mother Confessor, Lord Rahl loves you?" The Captain asked. He was sitting across the fire from her next to Cara. They were so close it almost looked like she was sitting on his lap.

"Well . . . I don't really know what to say, Captain. Richard just – " She was cut off by Cara.

"He's Richard now?" She asked incredulously.

"I guess. I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to you. A lot happened in that two hours when we were getting ready to leave." Kahlan said, still trying to comprehend what Richard had meant by 'Denna was my mistress.'

"Why don't you tell us what happened, Mother Confessor, since Lord Rahl isn't here, and we can talk freely." Cara said.

"Well, first you – " the Captain cut her off, but was looking at Cara.

"What do you mean, 'since Lord Rahl isn't here, and we can talk freely?'" The Captain looked confused, but Kahlan had understood Cara's meaning.

"Benjamin, I can't even call you by your name when he is around." She said.

Kahlan decided that they should know about Richard's discovery. "Actually, Cara. Richard knows that you two are . . . together."

"What?" Cara stood up in a sudden rush. "He's going to kill you." She said to Meiffert, she remained relatively calm considering she was telling her lover he was going to die.

"Cara, what are you talking about? Lord Rahl is not going to kill me." Meiffert looked over to Kahlan pleadingly.

"Cara, he's actually really happy for you. He found out about Berdine and Raina too." Kahlan thought now would be as good a time as ever to tell her that. Her mouth dropped open. "Why don't you sit back down so that I can explain to you what happened while you two were gathering food." She said slightly laughing.

"So, after you left me, Berdine and I went back to my office. Denna was waiting for us. She tried to attack me, but Berdine stopped her." Kahlan heard Cara whisper 'no,' but she continued. "She told me to run. I didn't want to, but when I turned around, Richard was standing in the doorway. Have you seen his grey eyes?" Kahlan asked, suddenly aware that she was very attracted to Richard with grey eyes.

"What?" Cara said. "Lord Rahl has brown eyes. I would know." She discreetly looked to see Meiffert's reaction to her statement.

"Look when he gets back, Cara. You'll see what I'm talking about. Anyways, so Berdine was caught off guard by Richard's sudden entrance and Denna hit her across the face with her Agiel. She fell and Denna went in for another strike, but Richard caught Denna's Agiel in his hand. Then – "

Cara cut her off with an outcry of "Impossible!" She was standing and Meiffert looked up at her confused. "Lord Rahl hasn't been trained in the use of an Agiel. He has never felt the pain in his entire life." She had regained her composure. Kahlan knew that Richard's inexperience with the Agiel bothered Cara for some reason.

"He held the Agiel without making a sound. The only way I knew it was causing him pain was from the way his eyebrows scrunched up." Kahlan thought he looked extremely handsome with his eyebrows scrunched up and his eyes mixed with pain and anger, but didn't think mentioning that to Cara would be helpful. "He took Denna outside and . . . scolded her. It was weird. He came back in and sent Denna for a healer. Raina came and Richard and I left her alone with Berdine.

"Richard told me Denna was his mistress." Kahlan said. She waited for an outburst from Cara, but she was just shaking her head. Kahlan told her the rest of the story, even about when they were spying on Cara and Meiffert.

"I still don't understand how all of this concluded in Lord Rahl saying he loves you." The Captain said. Cara was still shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well, Kahlan left out the best parts." Richard's voice boomed across the clearing. He was carrying two large rabbits. Kahlan noticed how dashing he looked in his simple clothes with grey eyes. She couldn't help but smile at him when he looked at her.

Cara's head had stopped shaking and she had jumped up when Richard had arrived back in to the clearing. Meiffert had noticed Cara's actions and reluctantly followed suit.

Richard handed Kahlan a rabbit and sat down. He looked over to the two D' Haran's who were standing up. "So did you two remember to bring a pan with all that food, or were you going to offer to hold the rabbits over the fire?" Richard said smiling, but the Captain blushed, and Cara looked genuinely freighted for a second before she let her mask fall back across her face.

Meiffert pulled a pot out of his pack. "Here you go, Lord Rahl."

Richard looked over to Kahlan and spoke in a quiet voice. "You do agree that we can't let Cara cook don't you?" Kahlan smiled when Meiffert laughed and Richard gave her a private smile before turning back to the group. Cara still didn't look very comfortable, but Richard and Meiffert seemed to be becoming friends rapidly.

Kahlan grabbed the pot out of Richard's hand and decided to play along. "Yes, Richard. Cara will kill us all if we let her cook." She said in the same quiet voice that he had spoken in.

Cara's mouth opened and she looked like she was about to say something but thought better of it after a quick glance at Richard. Kahlan started preparing the soup while Richard talked to Meiffert.

"So, Lord Rahl. What are these better parts of the story that the Mother Confessor is leaving out?" He asked after sometime. Kahlan had actually gotten Cara to stir the soup while she was collecting herbs and she had just gotten back as the question was asked. Kahlan almost dropped her small bundle.

"We almost kissed, Benjamin." There was a large crash and the light suddenly got less intense. Kahlan looked over to see what had happened.

Cara had knocked the soup pot over into the fire.

"I told you we shouldn't let her cook." Richard said smiling at the astonished Meiffert.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

"Richard, I don't think this is a good idea." Kahlan said. She had been trying to convince him not to go into the town for a few hours now.

"Kahlan, people know who you are, and I don't think the villagers would be too excepting of a lone D' Haran soldier or a Mord – Sith." Richard said, tired of having this conversation, they more arrows, and new clothes that wouldn't be quite as conspicuous. Richard had brought some, but the rest of them hadn't changed.

"You are the Lord Rahl. You don't think they'll treat you any differently, maybe worse." Kahlan was frowning. Richard didn't like it when she frowned, even if the way her forehead crinkled made her look cuter than normal.

"None of the villagers know that I'm Lord Rahl. I'll be fine Kahlan. I need to leave soon, it will be dark in a few hours." Richard said. He walked away from her, only to be stopped by Cara's hand on his chest, her eyes were looking directly into his.

Cara backed away suddenly casting her eyes to the ground. "Forgive me, Lord Rahl. I didn't mean to – "

Richard cut her off. "It's alright Cara. I am going to the village though." He said, guessing at why she had tried to stop him from leaving. It had been two days since they had left and Cara still hadn't warmed up to him, while Benjamin had become a good friend. Kahlan had begun to sleep next to him and once when he woke up he had found her cuddled up against him.

"Lord Rahl," She said quietly, "I don't think you should go alone. It is not safe for you anywhere outside of the palace."

They had been telling Richard that since they left, but he hadn't been in any fights. In fact the trip seemed a little boring compared to the days when he had been trying to find the Stone of Tears.

"I'll be fine." He said, making sure Cara looked him in the eye. He turned to Kahlan and gave her a smile. She reluctantly smiled back.

It wasn't a very long walk to the village, but Richard knew something wasn't right when he left camp. There was a faint smell of burning in the air, and the trees looked unusually bare for the beginning of spring. He thought about going back, but as he turned around, four men were standing in his way.

"I don't want to hurt you." Richard said, his hand going to his sword. He caught off guard by the lack of magic, and looked down at it.

The four men hadn't made a move to attack him, but suddenly Richard knew why. He swung the sword around just in time to block an attack from behind. There were new men too fight off. They were all surprisingly big and hairy, but after the surprise attack, they didn't try to fight him. He was surrounded. Out of the forest he saw a few more men join the group.

"What do you want?" Richard said, slowly spinning in a circle, trying to make sure no one was about to attack him. His sword was up, but it didn't feel right in his hand.

None of the men said anything. Richard didn't understand why this was happening. They were still in D' Hara, close to the border, but all of these men should have been D' Harans.

The circle of men got continuously bigger, and Richard knew he had missed his chance to escape. Over the head of the man in front of him he saw the smoke from their campfire. He needed to warn the group, but he didn't know if they were to far away to hear him or not. He didn't want these men to know about Kahlan if they didn't already.

Finally, one of the men moved forward through the crowd. There were at least forty men in the circle now, but the men all moved out of the way of the man. He was muscular, with short brown hair. He was the cleanest looking of all the men surrounding him, and Richard could tell that this man was highly respected.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Lord Rahl." Richard could hear the scorn in his voice. "We'd heard you were out of the palace, but I never expected it would be this easy to capture you."

Richard didn't say anything; he was trying to evaluate the situation. If this man knew he was the Lord Rahl, then he wouldn't be stupid enough to think he was traveling alone. He was completely surrounded, and with odds of forty-to-one, he didn't think he would survive the battle if he attacked.

Richard stood up straight, and put his sword away. He had a lot of questions for this man, but he needed only one answer for the moment. Looking at the man's sword Richard asked, "Who are you?"

All the men in the circle laughed, but not the leader. He frowned. "You don't even remember me?" Richard refused to answer, knowing that trying to explain to this man about what was going on would be a waste of time. The men got suddenly quiet, waiting for their leader to give the Lord Rahl and answer.

"I'm the Seeker of Truth."

**A/N: Who's the Seeker of Truth, find out Monday, or try to guess, some one might get it right.**


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

"He should be back by now." Kahlan said.

"Mother Confessor," Cara replied, exasperated. "It has only been an hour since he walked out of the camp. Lord Rahl will be fine." She didn't sound like she believed that.

"I think we should check on him." Kahlan couldn't help but worry about Richard. He had become something she didn't remember ever having before, something more than a friend.

"Mother Confessor, while I still don't agree that he should have gone alone, he was right when he said all of us would be recognized." Captain Meiffert had gotten back from hunting a few minutes after Richard had left. He had been upset that they had let Richard go out alone, especially into a town. However, he had soon realized why it was the best choice and accepted it, something Kahlan still had done.

"Something isn't right. I have a bad feeling." Kahlan had felt cold ever since Richard had left, even though it was a warm day. Cara rolled her eyes and took the one rabbit from Meiffert.

"Wait, wait, wait. I don't think you should have that." He said. Cara growled at him, but tossed the rabbit back anyways.

Kahlan smiled a little at the Captain's joke, but could get her mind off the feeling for very long. "I'm going to go check on him." She said getting up.

Cara suddenly pushed her back onto the ground. "No."

"Cara, I can – "

"No. Lord Rahl would not want me to let you put yourself in danger because of a feeling." Cara was glaring at her and Kahlan wanted to shrink back and pretend like she had never suggested the idea.

"Maybe she's right, Cara." Cara turned to glare at him, but it didn't seem to faze him at all. "I mean, obviously we can't let the Mother Confessor go, but some one should go check on him. If Lord Rahl got into any trouble, it would probably be alone."

Cara turned her gaze back to Kahlan who nodded. She rolled her eyes and sat back down. "Is today double team the Mord – Sith day?" She asked and they both laughed. Cara wasn't smiling though.

"So who should go?" Meiffert asked. He looked at Cara, but it seemed to say let Kahlan go so we can have the camp to our selves.

So of course Cara answered, "The Mother Confessor will not be allowed to go anywhere by herself."

Meiffert sighed. "So then you should go."

Kahlan was confused. "Why does Cara have to go?"

Cara gave Meiffert a small smile and answered. "People are more afraid of me, and won't cause as much trouble to a lone Mord – Sith."

Meiffert huffed and Cara rolled her eyes. Kahlan couldn't help but smile at the way they talked to each other. Their relationship was unlike anything she had seen before. "I still think I should be going. People don't bother Confessors."

"Maybe when they have their powers." Meiffert said, and Cara smacked his arm. "What? She had the chance to get it ff and she wasted it." He whispered to Cara, but Kahlan heard him.

She whished that she hadn't reacted the way she had to Richard's declaration of love. If she had she would probably have the metal collar off by now. She was surprised that he hadn't brought it up again, but most nights he went hunting, and they didn't get to talk. He had started taking Meiffert with him, but he was learning slowly.

"Lord Rahl, would kill me if anything happened to you." Cara said softly, genuinely seeming to regret the possibility of death.

"I don't think he would Cara. He would be really upset, but I don't think Richard would ever kill you." Kahlan said.

"Maybe." She stood up. "I have to go. If I'm going to follow Lord Rahl, I need to start out before dark." She walked off, leaving Kahlan and Meiffert alone.

"I . . . I'll be back in a minute." He said, and ran off after Cara. Kahlan started skinning the rabbit. She wasn't as worried about Richard, now that Cara was going after him. Now she was worried if there would be any food left when he got back. Meiffert appetite was almost as bad as Zedd's.

Kahlan still had a hard time believing he was alive. The last time she'd seen him; he was about to be burnt by Wizard's Fire. She remembered that day like it was an hour ago.

They had no other options but to attack the Rahl brothers at the People's Palace. The brothers had all three boxes and they couldn't let them enslave everyone. Sometimes Kahlan regretted the Seeker's decision. A year under Rahl and anyone would regret his decision.

**Author's Note: Tomorrow's chapter will be a flashback. The identity of the Seeker will be reveled the next time the Chapter is from Richard's prospective. I thought some people might like to know how Kahlan was captured.**


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

_Kahlan was scared. She knew that they had no choice. The Seeker had said so, Zedd had told her as well, but Kahlan didn't believe that they would win. She couldn't tell the Seeker. He wouldn't listen to her, and Zedd had long ago started to blindly follow him._

_They were going to attack tomorrow. Looking at the People's Palace, she had no idea how their plan was going to work. The Rahls would be ready for them. Time had run out and it was a last desperate act to try and save the world._

_She didn't sleep that night. Zedd had offered to help her, but she refused. The Seeker had had no problem. He believed in himself. He was to blind to see how hopeless the situation was. The Rahls had the three boxes of Orden. It was a wonder that they hadn't been used already._

_Zedd had tried to explain why. They need the Book of Counted Shadows. Kahlan had told him they already had a copy of it. He had tried to tell her that the Rahl brother squabbled with each other, that they hadn't decided who would rule the world yet. Kahlan didn't think they would squabble over that._

_Kahlan knew why they were waiting. After all, it was the first words in the Book of Counted Shadows. _The truth of the words of the Book of Counted Shadows can only be confirmed by the use of a Confessor_. A Confessor. She was the only Confessor left. The brothers needed her, and the Seeker was going to give them what they needed._

_She hadn't slept that night. She had sharpened her knives._

_The next morning the Seeker had tried to comfort her. "Don't worry, Kahlan. Everything will be all right. I won't let them have you. I promise."_

_It had done little good to calm her down. It had never helped her before. She had smiled at him though. She couldn't speak. He was still the Seeker of Truth; he would be able to tell if she was lying. _

_Zedd magically disguised them. It had gotten them into the palace without difficulty. No one had even looked their way. Kahlan knew why._

_They were waiting for them in the Garden of Life. Even then, she had to stop and admire its beauty. The boxes were in the middle on a pedestal, one Rahl to each side. Richard had been on her right. It was a strange thing to remember, but she did. _

"_So, the Seeker has finally come." Darken Rahl had spoken first, but Kahlan had seen the way Richard smirked. He hadn't looked at the Seeker. He had looked at her._

"_Brother," He had spoken, the smirk still on his lips, but his head to Darken Rahl. "We can not forget the Seeker's lovely companions." He looked back to Kahlan and she had felt a shiver go down her spine. "It is an honor to meet one so esteemed as the Mother Confessor." His eyes quickly looked to Zedd, "And of course the First Wizard."_

"_Yes, dear brother, you always were one for the formalities." Darken Rahl seemed bored. Richard Rahl hadn't seemed to notice. He continued to talk to the Seeker, "Now, why don't you just had over the Confessor so we can end this business. I have – " _

_Richard, who still hadn't taken his eyes off of Kahlan, had interrupted him. "We have, brother. We have agreed to control the world together."_

"_Yes, of course, brother. My mistake." Darken Rahl hadn't looked at Richard since they had walked through the door._

_He never saw Richard's hand move to his knife._

"_We have no quarrel with you, Seeker. You are free to leave." Darken continued._

"_I will never abandon my friends." Kahlan remember the anger in his voice. How sure he was that they were all friends. How her eyes had turned from Richard Rahl to look at him in astonishment._

_They were not friends._

_Richard had noticed. He interrupted his brother again. "You are so sure that you and the Mother Confessor are friends?" He laughed, still never looking away from Kahlan. She saw the Seeker look over to her, his face like a hurt puppy._

"_Don't listen to him. He's just trying to weaken your – " Richard interrupted her, and she remembered thinking how rude he was. How much he interrupted people._

"_Don't listen to him." He was mimicking her. "Are you prepared to give up your life, a lot of people's lives, just to save someone who doesn't even respect you?"_

"_I do respect you." She said quietly, trying to ignore the way Richard was mimicking her, like a child. "I have given you everything I have. Do not listen to him."_

"_Enough!" Darken Rahl had been ignored too long for his ego. His hand had shot out to restrain Richard, and Richard had continued to smirk at Kahlan. Gloating in his victory._

_Kahlan saw the glint of a knife go behind Richard's back._

_The doors burst open. It was the first time Kahlan had seen a Mord – Sith in person. The women hadn't even looked at the three strangers._

"_Lord Rahl! He's going to kill you!" Kahlan didn't know which Rahl she was talking to, but Darken Rahl's eyes went wide._

"_No!" The Mord – Sith screamed as Richard's knife protruded from Darken Rahl's chest. The Mord – Sith had almost made it in time to save her master. She caught his body as it fell._

"_And so I have fulfilled the prophecy." Kahlan heard Richard speak, but it did not seem like he was gloating. _

_The Mord – Sith slowly lowered the now dead Darken Rahl to the floor. Her head was down, and she went into the position for devotion. Her forehead was half way to the ground before Richard Rahl kicked her in the head. She fell on to her back. Kahlan could see the fear in her eyes._

_He leaned down over her, his black cape with the Rahl emblem in white, Kahlan had noted this as odd, covered the Mord – Sith entirely. Kahlan could hear the words spoken to her, however._

"_You are a traitor and do not deserve the honor of being my Mord – Sith. You will be punished for this treachery." Kahlan heard the Mord – Sith let out a little scream, and then there was a long pause of silence. Suddenly, Rahl straightened, and Kahlan could see the bruise forming on the head of the Mord – Sith._

"_Denna!" Rahl commanded._

"_Yes, Lord Rahl?" Her voice was silken and quiet, but it Kahlan jumped at the closeness of it. Another Mord – Sith pushed by Kahlan._

"_Take her to the dungeon." Rahl was looking at the boxes. After she left, he continued._

"_Now, if you don't hand over the Confessor," He said the word jealously, and it made Kahlan fear his intentions. "I will cause you great pain." He wasn't even looking at the Seeker, or Kahlan._

"_Never."_

"_Very well," Richard said. He turned around, and there was fire shooting out of his palm._

_It was heading straight for Zedd._

"_No!" Kahlan wasn't sure if she or the Seeker had screamed. She saw the fire racing towards Zedd, but before it hit him a magical force pushed her. Her head hit the wall. She could hear the Seeker saying something, his voice slowly getting fainter._

_She opened her eyes, barely able to tell that Rahl was standing over her._

"_Welcome home, Mother Confessor."_

**Author's Note: Guess's on Darken Rahl's loyal Mord – Sith? It's not Denna. People who guess correctly get to know who the Seeker is. I promise.**


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Mother Confessor. Mother Confessor." Kahlan's eyes opened slowly, and she was surprised to see Captain Meiffert standing over her. It had been a long time since she relived the memory of what happened that fateful night.

"I was only gone for a few minutes. I don't see how you could have fallen asleep so fast." Kahlan was still lost in the memory, and barely even registered that Meiffert was talking to her. "I prepared the food if you're hungry. I didn't want to wake you till it was ready."

Suddenly Kahlan realized where she was and what was happening. "Richard!" She sat up, and Meiffert jumped back, startled. "I'm sorry. I was . . . having a nightmare. I would love some food, Captain. That would be wonderful." She tried to smile at him, to ease his nerves, but it didn't seem to work.

"Are you sure you're alright, Mother Confessor. While you were sleeping . . . you were thrashing around. I was worried you might roll into the fire. Lord Rahl would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you." Kahlan was touched by how genuinely concerned the Captain looked for her safety. Even if all he could talk about was what would happen if Richard found out she was hurt.

"Really, I'm fine Captain. It was just a bad dream." She tried smiling again, and this time it seemed to work better. He gave her a small smile, and got her a bowl of stew. Kahlan hadn't realized how hungry she was until she was eating.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" The Captain asked, distracting her.

"What?"

"Do you want to talk about your nightmare? I'm mean, you don't have to, but I thought women liked that kind of thing." Captain Meiffert's face was scrunched up in confusion,

"Captain, what are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry, Mother Confessor. I don't mean to be intrusive. If you don't want to talk about your nightmare than it's okay. I was . . . I'm . . . Cara never has nightmares. I don't know what to do, what to say." The Captain looked sincerely curious about Kahlan's nightmare.

She laughed. "Cara doesn't have nightmares?" She stopped laughing and smiled at him. "I'm sure she doesn't." She paused, trying to keep from laughing. "It's fine, Benjamin. I don't think Lord Rahl will punish you for not being able to comfort me from my nightmares."

Meiffert smiled. "Good." He paused. "Thank you, Mother Confessor."

"For what? I haven't even made the soup tonight." Kahlan looked down at the soup, suddenly realizing how hungry she was. She shouldn't be that hungry though. She hadn't been hungry when she had fallen asleep. She was so lost in thought, she missed Meiffert's explanation on why he was saying thank you. She stood up, suddenly very afraid for Richard and Cara.

"How long?" She asked suddenly.

"What?" The Captain looked very confused.

"How long has it been since Cara left?"

"Maybe and hour, but – " Captain Meiffert started.

"An hour?" Kahlan started to look around for the knives that Richard had gotten for her. "Cara's been gone an hour?" She looked around, just realizing that it was dark. Her dream had really taken her out of reality. "We have to go make sure they're alright."

Meiffert laughed. "Mother Confessor, Lord Rahl is with Cara. I'm sure he is fine."

Richard felt the man punch him again. He could feel blood running down his face and off his toes. It wasn't as bad as it could be though. Denna could be there, kissing him while her Agiel was poked into his gut.

They had taken him into the village where his original destination had been. That was good. He remembered thinking that, but he didn't remember why it was good anymore. They had tied him to a chair. It wasn't that bad. Hanging by your arms from the ceiling was a much worse torture.

This man reminded him of Constance. He had no finesse. He could inflict pain, but he could not make it last too long. Not like Denna. He supposed that no one was like Denna.

He felt the man punch him again. Richard didn't think that this could be considered torture. It was more of a beating. It hurt him, but he didn't feel like this treatment would make him answer anything. Not that they hadn't tried to make him answer questions.

Every so often the man who named him self the Seeker would appear, and watch as his men beat him up. He would tell Richard things, mostly he would say, 'tell me where she is and this will stop.' The man had never specified who 'she' was, and telepathy wasn't something Richard knew how to do.

This had been happening for at least an hour when, suddenly, the beating stopped, and the man ran out of the farmhouse. Richard didn't know why. He shook his head, trying to clear the blood from out of his ears. After he did, he could hear the noises of men dying. Richard was too delirious to fit together what that meant.

The screams stopped abruptly with one surprised sounding word in a familiar voice. "Leo?"


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Richard was still a little delirious when they brought Cara into the room. "Nice to see you could join me." He said, not really sure why.

Cara looked a little scared, but not because of the four men who were dragging her into the small house. "Sorry, Lord Rahl." She whispered, and Richard could barely hear it.

Cara was thrown into a chair and tied to it, like Richard. The Seeker walked into the room. He started pacing and he kept glancing over at Cara, who was sitting up straight and tall in the chair. For once, Richard saw this Seeker look nervous.

"What are you doing here?" The Seeker's voice was angry and intense, and he was pointing at Cara. It was the first time that Richard had heard him yell.

Cara didn't seem like she was going to talk, so Richard decided to step in. "Well, you didn't think I'd come alone, did you?" He gave the man a smile, feeling blood run from the corner of his mouth.

Richard saw the Seeker's hand go to his sword, Richard's sword. He could see the magic in his eyes. For a second, Richard thought the man was going to kill them both. Then, the Seeker released the sword, the rage dying, and smiled back at Richard.

"Of course, I just wasn't expecting you to bring her." He said pointing to Cara.

"Why wouldn't I bring Cara?" Richard asked. He looked over to see Cara's reaction, but she didn't have one.

"I had heard that you're favorite Mord – Sith was Denna. That when you traveled you always brought her along." The Seeker replied. Richard still didn't know his name.

"Well, my favoritism has left Denna, and moved on." The Seeker smiled at Richard, but he didn't know why.

"Well, the last time I saw Cara, I was fairly sure you were going to kill her." Richard saw Cara sit up straighter.

"Lord Rahl has graciously given me another chance." Her voice was cold, and Richard could see that whatever she was talking about wasn't something she liked to think about.

The Seeker laughed, "Graciously? He probably tortured you to death a few times. The merciful, Lord Rahl, only killed you five times, not six. Yes, I can see how his favoritism has moved on."

Richard couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What are you talking about?"

The Seeker's eyes were wild, and Richard thought he might be crazy. He laughed again, and Richard could hear madness in his laughter. "You see Cara? He doesn't even remember what he did to you. He's a great hero."

"What's wrong with him?" Richard asked Cara, not trying to hide his words from the manic Seeker.

"I don't know, Lord Rahl. He wasn't like this during his training."

"What? His training? Who trained him?" Richard couldn't believe that this man had been trained.

"I tried, Lord Rahl, but before I could complete his training, he was rescued. He doesn't seem to have recovered very well." Cara was looking down her nose at their captor. She didn't think he was mentally stable either.

"Yes, and what happen when you failed in training me? Did your precious, Father Rahl, go easy on you?" Cara didn't answer. "No? I didn't think so."

"Now, if you would please tell me where she is, I will think about letting you go."

"I still don't know who you're talking about." Richard answered, trying to make his voice sound bored.

"The Mother Confessor, Lord Rahl. That's who he's talking about." Cara answered, and suddenly, Richard felt stupid for not realizing that earlier. If the real Cara were here, she would have rolled her eyes at him.

"You want Kahlan?" The Seeker nodded. "Why? She is perfectly happy with me. She even likes to sleep next to – " Richard was interrupted by the Seeker's fist slamming into his face. Cara was struggling to break the ropes holding her to the chair.

"Kahlan would never sleep next to the Lord Rahl!" Richard could see how jealous the man looked, but he didn't think Kahlan would be involved with this man.

"Whatever you say . . . what is you name?" Richard looked over to Cara who would probably give him an answer.

"His name is Leo, Lord Rahl."

"Yes, I am the Seeker of Truth, and now." He seemed to have calmed down a little. The Seeker walked over to Cara, who tried to bit him. "Since Mistress Cara was so nice in bringing her Agiel, we can begin."


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

"They have been gone a whole day, Captain. Don't try telling me that they're fine. We need to go help them." Kahlan had been up all night after her nightmare, and Richard and Cara still had not returned. She was extremely worried now.

She expected him to argue, like he had the entire night. "You're right, Mother Confessor. We need to go find them. Cara wouldn't have kept Lord Rahl away this long. They are in trouble."

"Thank you." She said, relieved that they were doing something. She had been sitting in the camp waiting for too long.

They packed everything up, and put out the fire. Meiffert carried Richard's pack and his own, why'll Kahlan carried Cara's. She didn't fail to notice that everyone's pack was considerably heavier than hers. She would speak to Richard about that latter.

They were only a little ways out of camp when Meiffert signaled her to stop. "Look at all of these tracks." He said, kneeling to the ground. Kahlan could see how the ground was worn away in a strange circle, with some one in the middle.

"You don't think that could be Richard, do you?" She said, pointing to the set of tracks that led to the center of the circle, and stopped.

"I fear that it is, Mother Confessor. Maybe you should go back to the camp, and wait there." He said, searching the ground for tracks leading away from the circle.

"No."

"Mother Confessor, this is no time to be brave. There appears to be at least forty men, and I don't think Lord Rahl – " Kahlan was tired of the 'Lord Rahl would kill me' excuse.

"If Cara couldn't rescue Richard by herself, what makes you think you can?" She didn't think Richard would do anything to Meiffert or Cara if she got hurt. He had given her knives to attack with, and he had tried to take the Rada' Han off of her.

"Lord Rahl would not – "

"Lord Rahl is not here. Now, you have no authority over me Captain Meiffert. I am the Mother Confessor of the Midlands, and I will go rescue Richard Rahl." Meiffert looked a little afraid, but Kahlan almost laughed at what she had said. She was the Mother Confessor, and she was going to go rescue the Lord Rahl. She wouldn't have thought such a statement was possible only a year ago.

"Mother Confessor, I . . . " He continued talking, but Kahlan ignored him. She, instead, followed the path to the town. She saw tracks leading into town, and even if they were no longer there, it would be a good place to start.

Kahlan heard the Captain running to catch up with her. He was mumbling something about 'stubborn women,' and Kahlan heard him mention Cara's name.

It didn't take very long for them to get to the small town, but Kahlan and Meiffert immediately noticed how all the people in the town were men. They also all looked to be carrying weapons. The town, which was actually a village, was too large for them to search every single building without being detected.

Meiffert pulled her into the woods, were foliage was blocking their view. "It seems that Cara has already tried to take on the band of guerrillas."

"How do you know?"

"Besides the fact that she didn't come back to camp, there were at least fifty sets of footprints back on the road. At least ten of those didn't make it back, and some of the footprints aren't fresh. Also," He pointed to a wall of a tavern, "do you see that blood stain? There are more like them all around this area, even on the road." Kahlan nodded.

"So what do you think we should do?" Kahlan had no real idea how many men were left, if what Meiffert said was true, there should be around thirty to forty. However, if they didn't bring all of their men to capture Richard, there was no telling how many men were actually in the village.

"We could try to sneak in, and find out were they took Lord Rahl, or we could walk in there and start killing people, like Cara did. Either way, I don't think are chances are very good." Meiffert was looking at the patrols as he was talking, and Kahlan started to notice a pattern.

"What if I asked them to release Richard?" Kahlan said. They all looked like people from the Midlands. They respected Kahlan, and she didn't think they would hurt her if she went to them.

"There is no possible way that Lord Rahl would allow this if he was here, Mother Confessor. With that in mind I will not allow you to go out there to try and negotiate – Mother Confessor! Wait!" Kahlan had walked into the town while Meiffert was trying to convince her not to go. She had seen the pattern in the way the guards patrolled, and had moved at the only time it was possible to breach the perimeter.

She probably should have warned Meiffert.

She made it safely through the line, and Meiffert was close on her heels. She had seen a dark building from the forest and headed straight towards it. It was their only chance to not be spotted by the next guard. She tried the doorknob, hoping that it wasn't locked.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

The door easily swung open, and right as it shut, Kahlan could see the light from the next patrol come around the corner. "Mother Confessor." Meiffert's voice was scolding, yet he was whispering. "If we had been caught, they surely would have killed us. I would not want to face Lord Rahl in the Under-"

"Benjamin. Will you please shut up?" Kahlan couldn't believe how this man could still talk, especially with a partner like Cara.

The Captain looked stunned for a second, and then nodded his head, resigning himself to Kahlan being in danger. "If I had captured an enemy, I would put him in the most secure location I could find." He said.

"Where do you think that would be?"

"Close to the center of town, but in some place that wouldn't be obvious. Who ever had captured Lord Rahl knew he wouldn't be traveling alone, but they knew that he wouldn't be heavily guarded. I think we have a spy inside the palace." Meiffert said. Kahlan didn't miss his discrete look over to her when he said spy.

"I'd say that they have him in a small house near the center of the village, probably near one of their barracks." She looked over to him.

"Yes, that's most likely correct. Once we get to the center of town it should be easy to find them." He had frowned as he spoke.

"Why do you say that?"

"Mother Confessor, if they haven't killed them yet, they're probably torturing him for information. I think it would take a lot to break Lord Rahl, but – "

"He'll be fine. He once told me he was broken by Denna. I'm sure that anything these guerrillas can do is nothing compared to an Agiel." He gave her a skeptical look.

"Cara always told me that Lord Rahl had never been touched by an Agiel. Anyways, even if what your saying is true. They have an Agiel, Cara's."

"I hadn't even thought of that. We have to hurry. I wish Cara had come back after discovering Richard was captured." Kahlan wasn't sure, but she thought she heard Meiffert whisper, 'so do I.'

He carefully opened the door, and looked both ways before running to the other side of the street. Kahlan followed. They made their way down the street, avoiding everyone they saw. The village was mostly dark, and it wasn't very hard.

They made it to the center of the village quickly. They could hear the screams. They were mostly male, but a few times there was a female yelp. Kahlan saw Meiffert flinch every time there was a yelp. It wasn't hard to follow the screams, but the town center was lit better than the rest of the town, and there were more men on the lookout for intruders.

The house was normal looking on the outside, except for a few bloodstains on the outside walls. Kahlan looked to Meiffert, and pointed to an empty looking house. He nodded, and they ran for it.

"Alright. I think our best bet is to fight our way across the square. I don't see any other options. What do you think?" Kahlan asked him after they were inside the house.

"I still think this too dangerous for you to be involved." She glared at him.

"However, I think we might be able to make our way to the house through the empty village, if we are willing to let Lord Rahl and . . . Cara suffer a little bit longer." Meiffert didn't seem to like that plan very much.

"If we attack right now, we'll distract them and they won't get hurt anymore." Kahlan said. She didn't want either of them to be tortured for longer than necessary.

"I know." He sighed. "But we have less of a chance of surviving if we do that. If we die, they will just suffer longer. As much as I don't want to, I think our best chance is to sneak over to the house through the empty city."

"Captain I don't want to leave him – "

"Mother Confessor, do you think it is easy for me to let Cara be tortured? I'm a soldier of D' Hara, do you think I'm not kicking myself for letting, Lord Rahl be captured? You don't think I'm afraid what Lord Rahl would do to me if he knew I was letting you put yourself in danger, or Cara? Right now, I have to try and keep you out of danger as much as possible, and I need to rescue Lord Rahl and Cara. The only way that I know how to do that is to go around."

"Captain I – "

"No. We are going to go around and if you try to run off, I'll – I'll . . . knock you out or something." Kahlan could see how determined he looked, and how exasperated he was with her.

"All right. All right. We'll go around." Kahlan opened the door, and he walked through. "Benjamin." He turned around before waling out the door. "I'm sorry."

He nodded his head. "So am I, Mother Confessor. So am I."

They made their way through the black town listening to the screams of Richard and Cara the whole way.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Richard could hear himself screaming, but he wasn't really feeling it. It took him a little while to stop thinking of Denna while they were torturing him, but soon he had started thinking about Kahlan. The worst part of the torture, the only thing that brought him out of his fantasy, was when Leo randomly hit Cara, mostly her screams where of surprise, however.

Leo didn't know how to use Cara's Agiel. Richard couldn't decide if that was worse or better than with Denna. Richard knew Leo had accidently killed him once, but he had barely been in the Underworld before he was brought back. Cara had seemed extremely relieved when he had been revived, and the Seeker had given them a fifteen-minute break.

Richard had to admit that he was impressed with the Seeker. He had tortured them for at least four hours without a break.

"What did you do to make him so proficient with an Agiel?" Richard asked Cara when they were alone.

To Richard's surprise, she laughed. "Lord Rahl, all I did was train him. His proficiency, as you call it, is just a side effect of that training. From what I heard, you apparently are quite proficient, yourself."

"Cara. I would never torture some one with an Agiel. I wouldn't even torture someone if I had another option." He said.

"I don't believe you." She said quietly.

"What?" He knew that Cara thought he was a monster, but didn't she didn't seem to be talking about the other Richard.

"I think that if someone did something to the Mother Confessor, you would torture them, even if you had another option. I think you would do anything to kill someone that harmed Kahlan." Cara was looking him straight in his eyes, and it was the most honest conversation he had had with her since he had awoken naked in the palace, maybe since he had been sent to the future with her.

Richard opened his mouth, but nothing came out. "Cara, I – I don't know what to say." He looked into her eyes, and she didn't look like she was afraid of him anymore. "How do you know I'm not him?"

"Lord Rahl, the Lord Rahl that decided I was a traitor, had never felt the pain of an Agiel. I can see that you have." She stopped. "I wish I could call you my Lord Rahl."

Richard sighed. "I'm glad that you've realized who I – " The door burst open.

"Richard!" Kahlan was standing in the doorway. "Dear Spirits! Are you all right?" She rushed over to him. Meiffert was standing behind her, and Richard saw him give Cara an affectionate smile.

Kahlan untied him and he tried to stand. He was uneasy on his feet, and he almost fell over. Kahlan caught him.

"I'm all right. I'm fine." He said, going over to the door. "Perfect timing Kahlan. You just missed Cara's and my heart felt moment."

"What?" Kahlan said, and Meiffert looked surprised.

"I don't know what he's talking." Cara said, and glared at Richard, which he returned with a smile.

"Someone's coming." Meiffert whispered.

"Sit back down Cara. You two, hid against the wall." Richard ordered. He was surprised that they followed his directions, but they did without question.

The doors opened, "Well, are you ready to start again – "

"Leo!" Kahlan said.

He turned around, and before his head was facing her, his sword was against her throat. "Kahlan." He whispered.

He never saw Richard jump out of his chair and punch him. He was knocked to the floor, out cold. The sword crashed to the floor. Kahlan released a breath, "Richard, that's Leo Dane, the Seeker."

Richard bent down and picked up the Sword the Truth. The magic rushed into him, and he had never felt so good. He closed his eyes, just feeling the rage rush through him. He took the baldric off of Leo, and took the other sword off of his belt. He attached the other sword to his right hip. It felt better on the right side, where he would never have to draw it again.

He slipped the baldric over his head. "This man is no Seeker." He walked out of the house, not even bothering to try and sneak out of the village.

"Richard!" He heard Kahlan scream his name in the back of his mind, but he paid no attention to it. The sword was drawn and nothing could stop him.

He was dancing with death.

The first man came at him, and he easily impaled him on his sword. He spun around, cutting off the heads of two other men. He lunged, dodging a swing from a man and killing him in the same motion. He swung the sword, killing another man. He thought of nothing else, letting instincts take over. All he thought was Cut.

At the end, Richard didn't know how many men he had killed. He was at the edge of the village, and he didn't want to look back at the carnage. He didn't wait for the rest of the group. He kept walking, he was positive that he had killed every single man in the village except for Meiffert. He didn't want to think about it anymore.

He walked in to the forest until he was completely lost. He didn't think anyone would be able to find him. He almost killed her when he felt her hand on his shoulder. "Richard." She whispered, and sat down on the rock next to him. "Do you know what the sword does to people?" She asked softly.

Richard wanted to laugh. He wanted to tell her how he was very aware of what the sword did to people. He couldn't tell her anything. He didn't want to frighten her away with tales of his world. "Of course." was all he could say.

"Then why did you take it?"

"Because he did not deserve the sword!" He stood up, trying not to get angry. He was tired of Kahlan not knowing who he really was. He sighed, trying to calm himself. "I am the Seeker of Truth, Kahlan."

She stared at him for a few moments. "Richard," She sighed. "I know that you've always thought that you would become the Seeker, but you aren't, Richard. You won't be able to change that by stealing the Sword of Truth." She was rubbing his back and whispering in his ear.

Richard knew that she thought she was speaking the truth, but Richard knew that he was the Seeker of Truth. The sword felt right in his hand, and as much as he hated it, the magic that rushed into him, the twin to his own anger, was something he had missed in the few weeks that he had wielded the other sword.

"Kahlan. I know that you don't believe me, but, where I'm from, I am the Seeker of Truth. If I wasn't, I would have been killed by the magic the first time I killed someone back in that town. I have felt the righteous anger of the sword, and I know who I am." Richard had pulled away from her. "I know who you are too. Come on," He said going off into the forest to find their camp. "There's something that I need to do."


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Kahlan followed Richard, intrigued by his sudden exclamation. She still didn't really know how she felt about him taking Leo's sword, but the way it looked in Richard's hand somehow made her think twice about protesting again.

She had also seen the look on his face when he had killed all of the men in the village. Benjamin, Cara, and her hadn't killed a single man. She had never seen anyone look more graceful while killing someone. The way he had moved his sword – she caught herself thinking of it as Richard's sword. He hadn't been named as the Seeker of Truth, yet he seemed more like a Seeker than Leo ever had.

She followed him back to the camp Cara and Benjamin had set up, astounded that he had been able to find it without knowing where it was. She didn't Rahl could have done that; in fact she didn't know anyone who could have done that. Richard continued to amaze her.

Benjamin stood up at their arrival, but Kahlan was surprised to see how relaxed Cara looked. She sat by the fire; skinning rabbits that Benjamin had caught while Richard and Kahlan were talking.

"Lord Rahl, it's good to see that you are alright." He said. Cara looked up at him with an amused look on her face. "When you started killing those men with the Sword of Truth – I mean, I've heard what the sword does to . . . to people who haven't been named."

"Really Benjamin?" Cara said, and he looked surprised that she had used his name. Kahlan was also surprised. "After seeing him wielding that sword, I thought you would realize who the true Seeker was."

"Well, I . . ." He continued, but Kahlan stopped listening after seeing Richard's smile.

"What happened during your 'heartfelt moment?" She asked and he turned to look at her, the light reflecting in his grey eyes. She was stunned by how handsome he was.

"What always happens in 'heartfelt moments'? We bonded." He said, smirking.

"You and Cara . . . Bonded?" She said, trying not to laugh.

Richard did laugh. "That's what happens when . . ." He trailed off, his smile suddenly gone.

"What?" She said softly, "What happened?"'

"He died." Cara answered for him.

Kahlan looked at him stunned. "You died?" She whispered, and she wasn't sure if he had even heard her.

He looked over at Cara, and Kahlan thought Richard was glaring. He looked back to her and sighed. "I wasn't dead for very long. I've been dead for longer than that. I mean, I didn't even make it to the Underworld before – "

"Wait, wait, wait. You 'didn't even make it to the Underworld'? Meaning that you've been to the Underworld before?" Kahlan interrupted.

"Well, - " Richard started.

"Oh, and what do you mean, you've 'been dead longer than that'? Does that mean you've been dead before?" Kahlan was so angry. She had never heard of his multiple deaths. She didn't realize she had take a step away from him until he moved forward and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Kahlan, calm down. I was trained by Denna. That's . . . just a part of what happens." He said, looking to Cara.

"Yes, Mother Confessor. It's difficult to keep pets alive, so we use the Breath of Life to keep them from being dead for too long." Cara said.

Kahlan still had a stunned look on her face. "I thought you didn't believe he was trained by Denna?" She accused.

"I didn't believe that Lord Rahl was trained by Denna, he is not Lord Rahl." Cara said, pointing to Richard. Benjamin looked down at Cara liked she had just spoken blasphemy, which she sort of had. Kahlan was surprised that Richard wasn't even looking at Cara after she had accused him of not being Lord Rahl.

"He's not the . . . Lord Rahl?" She said. "What are you talking about Cara? He defiantly looks like Richard Rahl."

"I am." Richard said quickly. "I'm just not your Lord Rahl." Kahlan just stared at him, speechless. "See, where I come from, I was raised by George and Mary Cypher, and Zedd, who is my grandfather, named me the Seeker of Truth after you came across the barrier to find him."

"You're trying to tell us that you're not from our world?" Meiffert asked.

"Well – "

"Benjamin, you really believe that that man," she pointed to Richard, "is the same man who declared me a traitor, and threw me into a dungeon because I tried to save Darken Rahl's life?"

"You did what!" Richard exclaimed. Kahlan was surprised by his anger, and the look of hurt and betrayal on his face. Cara looked surprised too. "You tried to save Darken Rahl's life! Cara, why would you do that?"

"Well, I – I was being a loyal Mord – Sith." She was suddenly indignant and Kahlan was surprised that she was talking to Richard like that while he was so angry. "You weren't the Lord Rahl at the time. You weren't even there! You don't know how Lord Rahl was!" There was something in Cara's eye that told Kahlan there was more to this story than what she was saying.

Richard seemed to know what that was. "Did I kill your son?" He asked quietly. Cara was silently fuming, and Benjamin looked about as shocked as Kahlan felt, and she had never been more shocked in her life.

"You had a son?" Kahlan barely heard Benjamin ask the question because of his soft tone.

"Yes!" She exploded, and then she was stalking off into the woods. Kahlan didn't remember her getting up off the log.

"She never told me that." Kahlan whispered to Richard. "How did you know?"

"I . . . it's hard to explain." He was staring off into the direction Cara had gone. He turned to her suddenly intense. "When I get back, I'll do what I was going to. Just wait here." He said, giving her a kiss on the forehead, and then walked after Cara.

Kahlan stood at the edge of the clearing for a few minutes after Cara left. Benjamin had sunken to the ground after he left, and if he wasn't a D' Haran soldier, Kahlan thought he might have cried.

She went over to him and sat down, putting an arm around him. "Are you all right?" She knew it was a stupid question. He looked over to her, and she gave him a hug. "She'll be fine . . . and so will you." She whispered.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Richard easily tracked Cara through the woods. She was going to no trouble to hide her tracks, and stopping off into the forest wasn't a very stealthy form of transportation. He was very aware that she was angry with him and he knew why she was angry, but he hadn't committed the crime that she was angry about.

He followed her for at least an hour before she stopped moving. She had found a beautiful place to stare at. It was a lake surrounded by the green of the forest, and the light hit the water just right, making it sparkle. Richard found himself forgetting why he was there for a second, wishing Kahlan could see the beauty of this place.

Cara was standing at the edge of the lake, staring into the water. Her hand was twirling her hair, and her stance was relaxed, but somehow he knew that she was being torn up in side. The only other time he'd seen her play with her hair was when Dahlia had come to tell her the news of her son. At the time, Richard had thought the presence of Dahlia had brought on the odd habit, but now he thought it was her son.

Richard approached, and he saw her head move a fraction of an inch. She didn't turn to look who it was, but he was sure that she knew it was him. He didn't really know what to do. Cara, from any world, didn't seem like she liked to be touched by most people. He walked up and stood next to her, waiting to see if she would break the silence.

When she didn't, Richard stepped in. "It's beautiful." He said, referring to the lake.

"I wouldn't really know." Cara said her voice held an edge of sarcasm to it.

Richard was stunned that she had said that, but contained his surprised. "Cara, I didn't kill your son." He said softly.

"How do I know that?" She wouldn't look at him. "Even if you're from a different . . . a different reality, how do I know that you aren't the same? How do I know that you didn't kill my child?" She asked softly.

"Cara, I would never kill a baby, especially if it was you're baby." Richard said.

"He wasn't a baby when he died."

"Oh." All Richard could think about was how Darken Rahl had had Cara and his child killed at birth. "Cara, I . . . I'm truly sorry for what happened to your son. I wish he hadn't been killed." Richard said.

Cara looked over to him, and he could see how this affected her. "I didn't even know him." She wiped her eyes even though there was no evidence of tears. "I don't think he even knew I was his mother. Darken Rahl took him from me. I saw him grow up, but Darken would never let me get close to him. Even when he needed an escort and no other Mord – Sith were available. His trip would be delayed by some unforeseen event. Never something to implicate Darken, but I knew." Cara sighed.

"I was just angry because you didn't know, and you were angry that I had tried to save Darken." Cara looked into his eyes with longing. "I only did it for my child Richard."

Richard gave her a soft smile, "I understand Cara. I don't know why you were punished for that – "

"He was a threat to Lord Rahl." Cara was talking about Richard and the other Richard like two distinct people now. "He died before his father. That's how I knew Lord Rahl planed to kill Darken. My son would have been the next Lord Rahl if he had not died that night."

Richard moved closer to her. "I'm sorry that I told Benjamin that you had a son." He said, finally understanding why she was truly upset. He knew it was partly reliving the death of her son, but the look on Benjamin's face when Richard had said that was pure betrayal.

Then Cara hugged him. "I forgive you."

**Author's Note: Sorry for the shortish chapter, I was kind of busy today and didn't get much of a chance to write. I'll make it longer tomorrow. I might do a flashback chapter tomorrow, some back ground on Cara and her son. Tell me if that is something you want or not.**


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

_Darken Rahl was standing in the corner of the bedroom. Cara was giving birth to his child. He still hadn't decided whether to kill the child at birth or not. He would eventually need an heir, and he didn't want that heir to be Richard._

_Cara was in pain, but she didn't make much noise. Darken had heard that most women screamed while they were giving birth. He wasn't very surprised that Cara wasn't screaming. She wasn't like most women_

_._

_The child was born. It was brought to him first while Cara was looking at him, but she wouldn't be able to see him as he was covered in the shadows of the room. It was a boy, which probably saved the child. Darken Rahl's heir couldn't be female. His face was red, and he was screaming, but Darken felt a strange kind of affection for the boy._

_Darken stepped out of the shadows holding the boy. He looked into Cara's eyes, and she seemed realize that she would never get to hold her son. "Thank you Cara." He said, and left her alone. _

_He took the baby down the hall, trying to think of a name. The baby would have to have a name. Maybe he should have asked Cara, but that wouldn't be wise. It would encourage attachment and he couldn't have that. _

_He took the baby to his room, Richard was coming out of his, and he caught Darken's eye. He wasn't very old, but he had already developed a devious look which he gave Darken now._

_Darken felt himself move the baby close to his chest. "Don't worry, Nicholas. I won't let Richard touch you."_

_Darken tried to keep Cara and Nicholas as far apart as possible, but seeing as how Cara was still his favorite Mord – Sith, it was difficult. However, the first time Cara saw her son again, close enough to talk to him, Nicholas was seven._

_Darken was sitting in his throne room, conspiring with Demmin Nass about something. Cara was at his side, not saying anything but her presence was felt through out the room. Nicholas was supposed to be asleep._

"_Father!" He ran into the room. Darken felt Cara become stiff next to him. His hair was dark, but whenever Darken looked at him, he saw Cara. The way he moved, and his eyes were the same as hers._

_Darken moved to stop him before he got any closer to Cara. He could see her eyes were closed out of the corner of his eye. "Nicholas, what are you doing here?" He asked the child._

_Nicholas never even looked at Cara. "I was having a bad dream Father. I wanted to make sure it didn't come true." The boy looked extremely sad._

"_Come now Nicholas. The future Lord Rahl should not believe that dreams could come true." Darken wanted to know what the dream was. He was aware that the child had predicted the future before without realizing it, but Darken didn't think the boy was ready to know that the things he saw in his dream came to pass._

"_I'm in the middle of something right now, but I'll come to your chambers in a little while. Now go back to bed, Nicholas." The boy nodded and walked back to his caretaker, who was not a Mord – Sith; Darken had tried that and it hadn't ended well._

_Darken walked back to the table where Demmin and he had been discussing, and saw that Cara's eyes were still closed. "What's wrong with you?" Demmin asked her._

_She had opened her eyes and started at him for a while before answering. Darken had kept the maternity of Nicholas's birth a secret even from his friend. "Nothing." She said in a mocking voice._

_The first time Nicholas and Cara talked had happened when he was thirteen. Darken had taken Nicholas to see the D' Haran army take over a city peacefully. They were on the way there, and were escorted by a few legions of soldiers, and ten Mord – Sith. _

_Nicholas had been riding on Darken's right, and Cara, as the lead Mord – Sith rode on his left. Darken wasn't comfortable with this arrangement, but knew that if he asked Cara to move it would upset her status. They had almost made it to the city when Nicholas spoke to her._

"_So, what's your name?" He asked Cara, who looked stunned that he was speaking to her, and slightly unsure what to do. Darken almost laughed at the look on her face. "I mean, I've seen you around, but I've never met you. I just . . . am curious as to why I don't know your name."_

_Cara looked to Darken who wasn't laughing anymore. This could be a dangerous situation. "This is Mistress Cara, Nicholas." He said, trying to stop the conversation before it began. Cara had gotten the message, but Nicholas continued anyway._

"_Well, It's a pleasure to meet you Mistress Cara, I'm Nicholas Rahl." He said._

"_She knows who you are Nicholas." Darken growled._

"_I'm just trying to be polite, Father. Why won't you let me talk to her?" He replied._

_Darken stared at his son for a while, not knowing how to answer that question, but Cara stepped in. "Lord Rahl is just trying to hide his shame. He feels bad that he has never introduced his best Mord – Sith to the heir of D' Hara."_

_Darken couldn't believe what Cara had just said. If anyone else had even suggested that Darken was ashamed, he would have had them killed, but not Cara. She had just saved Darken the trouble of explaining why he had kept the identity of Nicholas's mother a secret from him his entire life._

_Nicholas laughed. "Really? Is that true, Father? Are you ashamed that you haven't introduced me to your best Mord – Sith?"_

_Darken was a little mad that Nicholas was laughing at him, but hid it easily. "Well, Nicholas, I had planned on introducing you when the time was right. I employ Mistress Cara so much, and she never had the time to meet you." Darken said. Cara looked like she was trying not to pay attention to their conversation._

"_I see. Mistress Cara, I'm disappointed that you couldn't make time to meet me." The boy was joking with her, but Darken glared at him. Cara was glaring at Darken when he wasn't looking._

"_I'm very sorry . . ." Cara trailed off, not knowing what to call her son._

_Nicholas smiled at her. "You can call me Nicholas."_

_Nicholas was walking to the Garden of Life. Today was the day the Seeker would come and try to kill his Father and Uncle Richard. Nicholas wasn't fearful that they would succeed at all, but he was afraid of what the two powerful brothers might do._

_He was going to try to keep them from killing each other. On the way there he ran into a few Mord – Sith. He hadn't really been looking where he was going, most people moved away from him, even Mord – Sith, and he had been trying to think of a way to keep the brothers from fighting. He had run into Denna, who was scowling at him, something that no one but his father did._

"_Excuse me." He said, and tried to walk around the group._

"_You're under arrest for treason, Nicholas Rahl." He heard Denna growl at him, but it wasn't that scary with her silky voice._

"_What?" He said._

"_What are you talking about Denna?" A Mord – Sith spoke from the crowd, it was the one that was always around his father, Mistress Cara._

_Denna ignored her. "Lord Rahl has ordered us to arrest you."_

"_My father would never – "Nicholas started._

"_Darken Rahl is no longer the Lord Rahl. He will be dead by the end of the night." Denna had taken her Agiel out._

"_Denna, you can't do this!" Cara had pushed her way out of the crowd, and was standing in front of him with her Agiel out. Nicholas drew his sword._

"_Cara, go save my father, I'll take care of this." Nicholas whispered into her ear._

"_Get out of the way Cara." Denna snarled._

"_Nicholas – " Cara began to protest._

"_Go!" He ordered, and she ran._

_The Mord – Sith descended on him, and there were too many to fight. Nickolas wasn't that great of a swordsman anyways. The Agiels began landing on him and he was crying out in pain. The last thing he saw before blacking out was Denna running after Cara._

_Nicholas woke up hanging from the ceiling. He was delirious, and wasn't really sure what was going on. He heard a familiar voice talking to him. "Nicholas. Nicholas, you're going to be all right. I won't let her hurt you." He looked over and saw Cara hanging from the ceiling as well._

"_Cara." His voice sounded croaky, but it was load enough for her to hear. "What's going on? Where's my father?"_

_Cara stared at him, "I'm sorry Nicholas, but Darken Rahl is dead." She whispered._

"_What?" Nicholas felt tears run down his cheek. "He can't be dead. You were supposed to save him. I saw you run to the garden."_

"_I got there to late, Nicholas. Lord Rahl had already – "_

"_Don't call him that!" Nicholas screamed. "Richard is not the Lord Rahl. I am."_

_Richard laughed from the doorway of the room. "You're right Nicholas. You are the rightful heir to D' Hara, but I don't think I'm going to let you be the Lord Rahl. I have a plan see. Nicholas Rahl, unfortunately he was murdered by the Seeker as he escaped from the Palace." Richard said._

"_You let the Seeker escape?" He heard Cara mock him, and Richard was suddenly there slapping her._

"_You should not be speaking right now, traitor!" He turned to Nicholas. "I've been trying to think how the Seeker would kill you, and the only thing I can think of is one little jab of his sword." He drew the mock copy of the Sword of Truth. "While I will miss hearing you scream for hours and hours, I can't wait that long to become the Lord Rahl." Nicholas's eyes went wide._

"_Wait!" Cara screamed. "Please, Lord Rahl. Don't kill him. I'm begging you, Lord Rahl." Nicholas and Richard both looked at her confused for a minute._

"_I'll have you begging again later Cara, I don't – "_

"_I'll do anything, Lord Rahl, please don't kill him." Richard stared at her for at least five minutes with surprise evident on his face._

_Finally he laughed. "Cara, in a little while, you'll do anything for me anyways. Why does he mean so much to you anyways Cara?" Nicholas, through all his terror was wondering the same thing._

"_I – " she started._

"_He's her son, Lord Rahl. Nicholas is the child of Darken Rahl and Cara." Denna was leaning against the doorframe._

"_You're son? Wow." Richard said, and slid the sword into Nicholas's right kidney. It caused immense pain, but no screams._

"_No!" Cara did scream. "I'm going to kill you! Both of you! You will die by my hands!"_

"_Now you know what happens when you cross me." Richard said, and left Cara with Denna._

**Author's Note: Hope you like it. It's my longest chapter yet.**


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Kahlan and Benjamin were sitting by the fire cooking when Cara and Richard returned. Benjamin immediately stood up when they approached. "Cara." He said. "We made some food. I thought you might be hungry."

Cara gave him a small smile. "Thanks." She walked over to him, and Kahlan went to Richard.

"Is she going to be all right?" Kahlan asked Richard.

"Yes. I think she's forgiven me." Richard replied while looking at Cara and Benjamin who where talking.

"Richard, how did you know she had a son?"

"Where I came from, you, Cara, Zedd, and I travel around trying to save people. While we were trying to close some rifts to the Underworld – "

"What?" Kahlan asked, surprised. "You were closing rifts to the Underworld."

"Yes. It isn't that big of a deal, we fixed it and everything's all right." Kahlan still looked surprised. "Anyway, Darken Rahl had come back from the dead, and – "

"What!" Kahlan asked again, and this time Cara and Benjamin looked over.

"Kahlan, I'm never going to answer your question if you keep interrupting me like that. There are some things that I need to tell you about my world, but right now, I'm trying to answer your question. Are you going to let me?"

Kahlan was still looking at him in surprise. "I guess."

"Like I was saying, Darken Rahl had come back from the dead, and he wanted Cara to join him again. He sent . . ." Richard paused, lowering his voice so Cara couldn't hear. "He sent a Mord – Sith named Dahlia to bring Cara into a trap so she could be captured. Dahlia told us about Cara's son."

"Well, what happened with Dahlia? Cara didn't get captured by Rahl did she, and why was only Cara with you? Where were the other Mord – Sith?" Kahlan asked.

"Well, I wasn't exactly the Lord Rahl." Kahlan was silent, and then laughed.

"What's so funny?" Cara asked.

"Richard says he wasn't Lord Rahl in his . . . world." Kahlan wouldn't stop laughing.

"Kahlan. It's not that funny. I caused some major problems, and Cara was always telling me how I had screwed up by not taking the throne." Richard said, motioning to Cara who was rolling her eyes.

"Why would you not take the throne? That's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. Some one rejecting that which gives them power." She rolled her eyes again.

"I had a quest to complete, and you told me I would have to kill people to take the throne." Richard was feeling defensive.

"You had a quest to complete?" Cara was mocking him. "Of course you would have to kill people. It's D' Hara not that pathetic excuse for a nation Westland." Cara said.

"Hey! I grew up in Westland!" Richard said. Everyone went silent.

"What do you mean, 'you grew up in Westland'?" Kahlan asked quietly.

"I . . . I was raised there, by George and Mary Cypher. I told you this already." He said, sensing something was wrong. "Why?"

"Richard . . . you destroyed Westland. You went on a campaign after taking over the Midlands. You said you had to destroy the people who didn't believe that magic – "

"Westland is gone?" Richard asked quietly.

"Well, you destroyed most of the people living there. Some might have escaped, but . . . you turned it into a grave yard." Kahlan was rubbing his back again, and Richard realized that Cara had walked over to them at some point. Benjamin was standing up behind them.

Richard stood there for a moment morning his family and his country, however, he soon realized that in his world, they were all dead anyways. Westland wasn't destroyed, but he hadn't been back there in a long time, and he might never see it again. He looked at Kahlan, and tried to smile.

"All right." Richard told her. "I think its time that you have you're powers back, Kahlan."

"What?" Kahlan was smiling. "Really? I, I mean, it's been kind of nice not having to worry about it, but . . . it will be nice to have it back." She paused. "I think."

Richard's smile brightened. "Kahlan, your power is a big part of you, and I hate seeing you with a Rada' Han around your neck." His hand went to the band of metal around her neck, and she leaned into his touch.

Richard pulled the key to the Rada' Han out of his pocket. "Would you like me to open it?" He asked her softly, and she nodded. Richard inserted the key and the Rada' Han snapped open.

Richard could almost see the power rush back into her.

Shota watched Richard unlock Kahlan's Rada' Han in her pool. Her hand splashed through the water, destroying the image. "I hope you know what your doing." She growled at the man standing in the shadows of her palace.

"Don't worry Shota. Everything is going according to plan. Everything is falling into place. Richard Rahl will soon be dead."


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

The next few days of travel had happened with out many life-threatening incidents. A few times Cara had gotten close to the food and everyone had been afraid if they would wake up in the morning, but so far, nothing had happened since the encounter with Leo.

Kahlan had noticed that Richard's eyes had begun to turn brown again. She was a little upset by this. The Richard that had Kahlan had started to fall for had grey eyes. The Richard that had taken her prisoner, and made her life a living hell, had brown eyes.

Richard, for his part, did not seem to notice the changing of his eye color. However, Kahlan was afraid that when his eyes became brown again, he would revert back to his original self, and all three of them would die.

She brought it up with Cara one night when Richard and Benjamin were hunting. "What do you think will happen if Richard's eyes get back to brown?"

Cara stared at her for a second. "I . . . I don't think anything will happen, Mother Confessor. Why?"

"Well, it's just, Richard has been . . . well, different since his eyes turned grey, and I think maybe – "

"You think he will be Lord Rahl again, after his eyes turn brown." Kahlan nodded. "I think you're over reacting to this eye color thing. He wasn't Lord Rahl before that happened. I told something was different."

"Oh, I remember, but I'm still worried. I just want you to be on your guard, Cara. We still don't know why his eyes turned grey." She reminded Cara.

"Well, I think it has something to do with Cara's message from Shota." Richard's voice was heard from out of the clearing, and he walked into it with Benjamin, each carrying a big rabbit.

Kahlan jumped, but Cara only flinched and it was so small Kahlan almost didn't notice it. "What do you mean?" Cara asked.

"I think that it is a side effect of the vision I received when you gave me the message. I've been meaning to ask you about that. Do you know who scout was that gave you the message?" Richard asked.

"Um, it wasn't some one I'd ever heard of, and it wasn't the man who I sent to get the message, but he might have taken some others." Cara said, screwing up her face trying to remember.

"Do you remember his name?" Richard asked. He'd give his rabbit to Kahlan, and she and Benjamin were cooking while he questioned Cara.

"I . . . it's hard to remember, I think it had magic to make me forget what I was doing. I think, that his name was Bradstone. Yes, his name was Dell Bradstone." Cara said looking to Richard.

Richard's sharp intake of breath could be heard of the boiling water. "Are you sure his name was Dell Bradstone?" Richard asked.

"Yes, now that I'm trying to remember, I'm sure that his name was Dell Bradstone." She said, looking at him confused.

"You're sure? Big man, darker skin, short hair, is that him?" She said.

"Yes, that's a good description of him. What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked.

"Why would Shota be using Chase?" Richard asked himself, ignoring her.

"Chase?" Kahlan asked. "You mean Councilor's Guard from Westland?"

"How do you know him?" Richard asked. "I mean, Zedd didn't introduce you did he?" Richard asked, still unsure of the whole history of this world.

"Well, Chase helped us escape from Westland. The First Councilor was helping a man try and kill me, but Zedd convinced Chase to help us. I think Zedd put a spell on him, because he did whatever Zedd asked, and he just left his family after telling them to run." Kahlan said she didn't seem too sad about it. "Chase was a big help in finding Leo, and he helped us get into the People's Palace."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Richard asked. Chase would never have left his family for Zedd, unless there was a spell involved.

"No, Zedd told him to wait for us outside the palace. Zedd was . . . Zedd had started to blindly follow Leo." Kahlan stopped, and said nothing else.

"You didn't believe in him did you?" Richard asked.

"Well, I . . . Leo was . . . I didn't agree with most of his decisions, and he . . . he just didn't know how to save the world. He could have been great, but he just . . . wasn't." Kahlan had had a very difficult time saying that.

"Wow." Cara said. "From the outside, you and the Seeker looked like a couple. I didn't know you had all these . . . problems with him." Cara said, the surprise evident in her face.

"Yes, the Mother Confessor always seemed to have problems with me!"

**Author's Note: I'm going out of town today, and I won't be able to update much. It might be a few days until an update, or there might not be one for a week. I'll try to write a lot while I'm there so I can update everyday when I get back. Sorry about the hiatus.**

**IndependeceDayChild17**


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

Richard stood, drawing the Sword of Truth, Cara's hand went to her Agiel, Kahlan drew her knifes, and Meiffert drew his own sword. No one else followed Leo out of the woods, and he looked to be unarmed.

"What do you want Leo?" Richard asked after a tense moment.

"I want my sword back." He moved a little bit closer. "It doesn't belong to you, and you don't know how to use it. Only a Seeker of Truth can use that Sword." Leo moved farther into the camp with each word.

"I know that Leo." Richard said, "I am the Seeker of Truth, though."

"No you're not!" Leo yelled at him. "You are just a tyrant who thinks he can pretend to be a hero. It doesn't work that way Rahl! You will never be able to redeem yourself!" He was almost right in front of Richard now.

"Stop Leo." Kahlan said quietly, and Leo looked over to Kahlan.

His mouth fell open. "You – You're – Kahlan." Was all he managed to get out.

"Listen, Leo. This man is not Richard Rahl. He is Richard Cypher, and he is the Seeker of Truth, but . . . "

"Not necessarily from this world." Richard finished for her. If they could get Leo to join their cause they would be able to find Shota and Chase easier, and then Richard could find the voice.

"Then why did he steal my sword and kill all of my men?" Leo asked spitefully.

"You captured and tortured us." Cara supplied with venom in her voice. "Did you really think he would just let that go?" Kahlan stopped her before she could go on.

"He didn't know who you were Leo. He thought you were someone trying to steal – " Kahlan was cut off.

"I had the Sword of Truth! I told him I was the Seeker, and he still killed everyone. I want my sword back!" Leo seemed determined to have her sword returned to him.

"You are not going to take my sword." Richard said with finality, and Leo seemed to understand what would happen if he asked again.

Leo continued on with them for a day, seeming debating whether or not to try and take the Sword of Truth. However he disappeared with out a word on the first night with them, without taking the Sword of Truth.

Cara had wanted to follow him and take him prisoner. It had taken Richard almost an entire hour to convince her not to go after him, and he had needed Kahlan's help. Meiffert had agreed with her at first, but he still believed Richard was the Lord Rahl and didn't say anything after Richard's orders.

Richard for is part didn't think they had anything to fear from Leo. He knew why Leo hadn't taken the sword, and it wasn't because he feared Richard. It was because he knew in his gut that Richard wasn't lying to him. After the argument with Cara, she and Meiffert had gone hunting, leaving Kahlan and him alone.

"Richard," She asked after making sure Cara was gone. "Are you sure letting Leo go was the right decision? I mean he could be working with whoever sent you that message." She sat down next to him. "You didn't even really ask him about it."

"He doesn't know anything." Richard said firmly. "He doesn't seem like the type of man that would be an agent of someone else, and he doesn't have enough will power to raise another army. He won't bother us anymore, but Kahlan." Richard said knowing how this would probably hurt her. "If . . . when I get back to my back to my world, I would appreciate it if you gave him his sword back."

Richard saw the flash of panic before the Confessor face fell into place. "You're leaving?" He almost heard her voice crack.

"Kahlan, as much as it pains me to see you . . . this way, I don't belong here, and the Creator only knows what the other Richard is doing in my world. Kahlan . . . I'm sorry." Richard knew that she would take this well, but it was hard to judge her feelings because of the Confessor face.

Kahlan got up. "I'm going to get more fire wood." Richard knew they didn't need anymore fire wood.

"Kahlan. Wait." He said, getting up, but he realized that she wasn't his Kahlan. That he would be forced to leave her soon, and he would never know what happened to her. Richard sat back down.

He let her go.

**Author's Note: Hey, sorry this update took so long. I started band camp after I got back from vacation and didn't have much time to write. I won't be updating everyday now, but I'll try to make the chapters longer. No guarantees.**

** IndependenceDayChild17**


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

Cara and Meiffert returned before Kahlan did, and began making the food for the night. Cara skinned the rabbits, but not before looking at Richard asking him where Kahlan was in a glance. He shrugged his shoulders.

Kahlan did not return before their dinner was ready. "Where is the Mother Confessor?" Meiffert asked.

"I don't know. She walked out of camp, and isn't back yet." Richard said, he was actually starting to worry now.

"Why did she walk out of camp without telling you where she was going?" Cara asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She's mad at me." He said in a soft voice. No one said anything for a minute.

"Why is she mad at you Richard?" Cara asked her voice turning into the demand of a Mord – Sith of her pet. By now, Richard didn't think the Mord – Sith knew when their voice became hard like that.

He looked up at her. "I told her that I have to leave when, and go back to my world."

He tried to judge the emotions that could barely be seen behind her mask of indifference. He had know that Cara wouldn't break down like Kahlan did, but he had thought she would be angry.

"Of course." She said in a short voice. Meiffert had stood up, and was now in some sort of crouch, like he expected Richard to disappear at any moment. "I knew that you would leave us at some point, I just hadn't fully considered the implications."

Richard knew she was talking about Lord Rahl coming back. Richard was fairly sure that they had traded places, and he was worried about what was happening in his world.

"How are you going to get back!" Kahlan had returned, but she was still mad.

"Kahlan – "

"Have you even thought about the possibility of it being impossible? How do you know that you even are this other man that you say you are? Maybe you hit you're head really hard and made up some fantasy, or maybe you are Richard Rahl and are play some mind game with all of us!"

Richard tried to speak, tried to imagine that this woman wasn't Kahlan, not his Kahlan, but it was impossible. He could feel the hurt on his face. Everyone was silent, and the only thing that could be heard was Kahlan's breath.

"Mother Confessor –" Cara started.

"Look at him Cara, and tell me that is not the man that killed your son! Tell me that you don't still look at him and want to kill him when you wake up!" Kahlan pointed at him.

Cara rose suddenly. "That is not the man who killed my son." Kahlan didn't seem to notice that Cara's hand had gone to her Agiel.

Kahlan shrieked in rage. Richard could feel her anger getting a little to close to the Con Dar, but he didn't understand why this was happening. Kahlan could be mad at him, but not Con Dar mad.

"Kahlan, just calm down." Richard said in a soothing voice. He slowly stood. "It's going to be alright."

It didn't help; she was pacing back and forth. Richard could feel the rage emanating off of her in waves. She shrieked again, this time a higher pitch that hurt Richard's ears.

Richard moved closer to her. "Kahlan, please don't do this." He knew she was too far-gone to just reign the power back in though.

Richard turned his head calmly to Cara. "You may not know what's happening, but you need to leave right now." He said and turned back to Kahlan not bothering to see if Cara had complied.

Kahlan shrieked again, and then she suddenly went calm her Richard saw her eyes turn the blood red of the Con Dar and he was scared for a moment. "I will kill you." She said.

Then he was terrified.

Her hand went up and for a moment he didn't know what was happening. He felt her hand clasp his throat. "Kahlan." He let out a moan before her eyes went black.

"Richard!" He thought he heard some one yell.

"You see Shota." The man spoke from the shadows as he looked on to Kahlan confessing Richard. "Every thing is going to turn out the way I have planned."

"Maybe." Shota spoke, pouring the water out. She looked to the man that had just walked in to her palace. His burly bulk seeming to make the room smaller.

The man in the shadows spoke to him. "You have done well Chase."

Chase gave the man a hard look. "Can I see my family now?"

Shota could see the man's face but she could feel his gaze on her. She waved her hand, changing the block of gold in front of her into the key to let Chase see his family. She took it in her hand and walked deeper into the palace expecting Chase to follow.


	35. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

The pain of Cara's Agiel jolted Kahlan back into control of her body. At first the anger was fighting against her, the power of the Con Dar slowly dying down. She had never entered the Con Dar before, and she didn't think it was possibly for her to have entered it.

She could only think about the implications for a few seconds, before the pain of the Agiel took hold of her. She heard herself screaming. She heard Cara screaming. She heard Benjamin screaming. She heard Richard's voice cut through the screams, but couldn't register what he had said because of the pain. 

Kahlan was on the ground, but didn't remember going to her knees. She looked up seeing Richard standing protectively over her. She suddenly remembered all to well what had happened. She broke down sobbing into the forest floor. She hadn't noticed Cara's shocked face.

She felt Richard's hand on her back, softly rubbing it, soothingly. His voice broke through her sobs. "It's alright Kahlan. Every thing is all right. I'm fine. I wasn't confessed."

She sat up swiftly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "How." She asked incredulously.

He gave her a soft smile and leaned forward, whispering into her ear. "It's a secret." He pulled back; seeming to laugh at Kahlan's face that she knew was openly shocked.

"What do you mean it's a secret? Tell me." She ordered.

He didn't answer, but his smile gave away how happy he was, maybe because he wasn't confessed, but Kahlan wasn't sure. She shook her head and looked past Richard to see an extremely shocked Cara being held loosely by Benjamin.

"Can you stand?" Richard asked suddenly. His head was slowly swiveling around, and his smile had disappeared.

Kahlan tried, but fell to her knees, realizing that Cara had broken a bone. Richard caught her before she hit the ground slowly lowering her down. He turned to Cara who was being held by Benjamin.

Benjamin didn't seem to know what to do. Richard was obviously angry, and Cara and shrunk back, afraid of what he might do. Benjamin seemed not to want Cara to get hurt, but Kahlan didn't think he would disobey a direct order if Richard told him to hold Cara while he punished her.

"Lord Rahl, I . . . " Kahlan saw Richard mentally shake himself when Cara called him Lord Rahl. He knew what that title meant to her, and how much he was scaring her.

Richard continued to walk towards her but he seemed to have let go of his rage. He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. Benjamin let go and backed away when Richard turned his gaze on him. The brown eyes still tinged with grey.

"Cara . . ." He sighed. "I understand why you did what you did. She was a threat and you need to subdue her. I am not your Lord Rahl. I have no right to punish you, and even if I did . . . I wouldn't." He let go of her and she backed away.

"Thank you . . . Richard. I'm sorry." She started to walk back to Benjamin.

"Cara." Richard's voice painfully reminded Kahlan of the way Rahl used to talk to her. "Don't ever make that mistake again."

Cara looked at him for a moment. Trying to gauge how serious he was, though Kahlan had no need to gauge she knew. Richard would never speak like that unless he was absolutely serious.

Finally she replied. "Of course Richard."

Kahlan had heard the mocking tone of her voice. The inflection she had put on Richard's name, making it sound like she had said Lord Rahl. Kahlan knew Richard had heard it. He turned around him face telling her how hurt he felt by her respond.

"Let's see if we can find what's broken. We need to get out of her fast." Richard said as he started to gently prod bones in her body.

"Why?" Kahlan asked, wincing a little as he touched a bruised bone.

"We are very close to Agaden Reach, and if I know Shota, she already knows we're here." Richard said, ripping a piece of cloth into a bandage.

"How are your plans going now!" Shota screamed at the man. He had been silent ever since they had discovered Richard Rahl's inability to be confessed.

"I have a back up plan." He said, softly, but still strong enough to be heard.

"You knew this might happen?" Shota asked in an outrage. Chase stood in the corner silently watching the encounter.

"It happened in his original fork Shota. I wasn't exactly sure how it would work with the same woman from a different fork in prophecy. This is an extremely new type of conspiracy we have going on right now. I took precautions just in case this were to happen Shota, so be silent while I think of the best way to implement my second plan." The man in the shadows was angry with her, and Shota felt a slight twinge of fear for a second.

"I know what to do." He said. "Chase!" He barked. The big man stood very still. "I have a job for you."

**Author's Note: I wrote this chapter so that Rosewing86 does not hunt me down. In short, Rosewing86, this chapter is for you.**


	36. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

Richard woke uneasily, sitting up fast, and startling Cara who was on watch. Something was wrong, and with the haze of sleep he didn't know exactly what it was yet. Cara walked over to him stealthily, easily not waking the others. She knelt beside him.

"Are you alright, Richard?" She asked, and for some reason it didn't sound sarcastic at all.

Richard still wasn't thinking clearly. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be patrolling the woods?" It sounded more accusing than he meant it to sound, and Cara's eyes lit up in defiance.

"I was just coming to wake the Mother Confessor for her turn for watch, but if you think I should continue, I will." She said sarcastically.

Richard's head was much clearer after Cara's remark. "Sorry. I'm just a little confused I guess. While you were on watch, was there anything strange?" He said, trying to find the right word.

Cara's eyebrows scrunched up while she was thinking. "Well, there was a strange noise not to long age, but I went too look, and could find the cause of it." Cara said.

The feeling continued to increase, and Richard could no longer ignore it. "Wake everyone up, Cara. We need to move. I think Shota knows we're here." He whispered.

Suddenly there was a loud crash through the brush, and a large man came charging into the clearing. His weapons reflecting the firelight, and his muscles gleamed from sweat.

"Richard! Richard you have to help me! They have my family!" The ring of metal was heard distinctively from the sword of truth being drawn, and pointed towards Chase.

He pulled up short, about an inch away from being skewered alive by the Sword of Truth. Chase looked around at the small group. He eyed Benjamin for a few seconds longer than the others, sizing him up. Richard couldn't decide who would win in a fight between the two. They were both the same size and had the same muscled build.

"Richard . . . Chase said a little apprehensively. "Why are you with a D' Haran who isn't confessed?" Chase looked to Kahlan. "Is he feeling alright? He hasn't taken the throne yet has he?" Kahlan stared back at him a little confused. Richard could feel the sword weighing more heavily in his hand. He had been on the way to have this conversation with Chase back in his own world.

"What is he talking about Richard?" Cara asked.

"He's trying to convince me that he is from my world." Richard said, and knew that there was no way that this man could be from his world. The sword rose back up. "Now, you are going to walk right back out of this camp and go back to Shota, or who ever may be controlling you, or I will kill you right now." Richard said softly, letting the hardness of his voice give the threat meaning.

Chase's face fell into a look of confusion. "Richard . . . what are you talking about? I've never met Shota, and I don't plan on it, and . . . come on Richard. You know me. Would I ever let somebody control me?" He asked, even though his hands wne up and he took a few steps backwards out of immediate range of the sword.

"You already told us they have your family Chase. I know that you would do anything to save them. I want you to leave right now." Richard spoke to Cara without taking his eyes off of Chase. "Start packing we need to move out before Shota sends something that could actually hurt us."

He heard the campsite start to be dismembered before he went back to Chase who was still not gone. "Richard . . . please. I really need your help. I can't get my family back without your help." Richard took a step forward, back into range, were one swift motion could kill Chase.

"Richard they're watching you." Chase says as he backs away from Richard more, farther back into the forest. "If you don't help me, my family will be dead when I get back, and I will die shortly after them. Do you really want that, Richard? I know that I don't. I'm your friend, and now you're turning your back on me."

Richard just stared at him. He knew that this was not the Chase of his world, but at the same time, he felt the connection of friendship trying to pull him into helping this man. It was like everyone else he knew in this world. Not who they were in his world, but enough to still make him feel the same feelings towards them. He found the sword lower a few inches, something that wouldn't have escaped Chase's notice.

"Can you take me to them?" He asked quietly, and almost thought that Chase had not heard his question when the answer was long in coming.

"Yes, but . . . you will not like what you find Richard." He answered just as softly, and over the noise from the others packing the campsite up he was fairly sure whoever they were could not hear the conversation.

"I think I'll have to take my chances." Richard replied. "It's good to see you, old friend." He smiled and sheathed the sword, which made everyone pause and watch as the two men embraced.

While still in the hug, Richard whispered into Chase's ear. "I wish you truly were my old friend."

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. Things have been kind of crazy with school starting, and marching band practice that I haven't had much time to write. I'm going to start writing more regularly. Thanks for waiting though.**

**IndependenceDayChild17**


	37. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six

"We'll be there soon Richard. What's the plan?" Chase asked a few hours later.

"I don't really have one." Richard answered. Everyone stopped moving but him. He walked a little further, but turned around when no one was following. "Am I going the wrong way?"

"Um . . . no." Chase answered. "But – "

"What do you mean you don't have a plan?" Cara asked, yelling at him.

Richard stared at her for a moment, seeming to contemplate the best answer. "Well, I guess I do have a plan. I was going to follow Dell until he led us to whoever has his family." Richard had insisted on calling Chase, Dell.

Cara started at him in disbelief. "Richard . . . maybe we should have a plan before we just walk into a probable ambush." Kahlan said before Cara could start accusing Richard of being insane.

"Do you have a suggestion?" He asked, keeping his voice level.

"No." Kahlan answered, and sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing Richard." She said and started walking again. Chase and Benjamin followed.

Cara stood for a moment longer, but then rolled her eyes and followed them. "You better not get us killed, Richard." She called up to him.

"I'll try Cara." He answered.

"They're coming." Shota said. She turned from her pool of water to look at the man in the shadows.

"I suppose they are." He answered. "That's good. It will be easier to kill Richard Rahl when he is in your palace."

"I still don't trust Chase. How do you know that we are not the ones being led into a trap?" Shota retorted.

"I've known Dell Bradstone for a very long time. He would not endanger his family for Richard Rahl." The man answered.

"Are we going to give him back his family after this is over?" Shota asked.

"That remains to be seen."

Richard stopped at the edge of the clearing. "Its incredible." He heard Benjamin whisper to Cara behind him.

"Its evil." Chase grumbled without much conviction.

"The inhabitants don't define the place." Richard spoke, and everyone fell silent. He stood, admiring the gleaming, golden palace. It was nothing compared to the People's Palace, but it was still a remarkable piece of architecture.

"Lets go." Richard said, and started towards the palace. It took them an hour to get all the way across the clearing, the palace forever looming in front of them. They said nothing the whole way, but they were all alert. Cara kept jumping at the slightest noise, which kept everyone on edge.

Once they made it to the gates they stopped. As Richard walked towards the door, Kahlan spoke. "Richard . . . maybe be we shouldn't do this. Who knows what could be waiting on the other side of that door. We could all be dead a few seconds from now."

"Dell knows what's on the other side of that door." Richard said, but continued to walk towards it.

"Then why don't we make Dell open it?" Cara asked sarcastically, just like the Cara from his world.

"I'll open it." Benjamin said, stepping in front of Richard.

"No. I will open the door." Richard ordered.

"Over the past few weeks, I've come to realize that you are not the Lord Rahl." The Captain answered. "However you are my friend, and I will open the door." He walked slowly to the door, and Richard didn't stop him.

"No!" Cara cried out, but it was too late, the door was already open.

And Captain Benjamin Meiffert lay dead on the ground.


	38. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"No!" Cara ran toward the body of Benjamin, but Richard stopped her.

"Wait. Cara we don't know what else is there, you could just get killed yourself, and then there would be no way to save him." Richard told her. She struggled with him a little bit longer, but then gave up.

"What are we going to do Richard?" Kahlan asked, the tears coming down her cheeks glistening in the sunlight.

Richard waited, trying to come up with an answer, but couldn't find one. "I . . . I don't know."

There was a scream, and Richard turned to see Chase on the ground, Cara standing over him. "What are you doing?" Richard screamed.

She removed her Agiel, but didn't turn towards him. "We all know that this man isn't your friend, Richard! He knew what would happen if the door was open! It's his fault. Its all his fault!" She moved her Agiel, and Chase let out another piercing scream.

"No, Cara, stop!" She didn't. "He might be able to help us, but he can't if you kill him now!" She still didn't stop. "I order you to stop!" He yelled. She stopped, and looked at him, loathing filling her expression.

"I thought you weren't the Lord Rahl." She said quietly, so quietly that Richard could barely hear her over Chase's moaning.

"I'm sorry Cara, but we need him." Richard whispered. He saw Cara look towards Kahlan, and suddenly, he thought they might kill him, but Kahlan took his hand and stood next to him.

"We live only to serve. Our lives are yours." Cara whispered, kneeling.

"Cara . . . " But she got up and walked away.

"What are we going to do now Richard?" Kahlan asked.

"We are going to get Benjamin back." Richard said, walking to Chase. "Are there anymore traps in the palace?" He asked.

"Richard – Richard, I didn't – didn't know about this one." Chase mumbled.

"Is he telling the truth?" He asked Kahlan, who nodded.

"Richard, what are you doing?" Kahlan asked as he walked towards Benjamin.

"They want us to come, Kahlan. They aren't going to make it that hard to get inside." Richard pulled Benjamin's body away from the gates. "Why don't you go get Cara, and tell her that she needs to save Benjamin?"

Kahlan nodded, and ran towards the place where Cara had stalked off. There was a loud noise, and suddenly a withered figure stood in front of Richard. The long brown hair was speckled with grey, and the skin looked baggy and aged, but Richard still knew who it was.

"Shota." He said dangerously.

"Hello, Richard." She paused. "Well, you look good, I expected you to look older."

"What?" Richard asked confused.

"Nothing. I see that you have passed the first test. You are now granted entry into my palace." She said.

"Shota, what are you talking about?"

"You'll find out eventually Richard, but until then I must go, you're friends are coming back now, and I can't be here when they arrive." She turned to leave, but stopped. "Oh, and Richard, don't tell anyone about this meeting. I'll find out if you do." Shota walked back towards the palace, stopping to pat the top of Chase's head on the way. Before she reached the door, there was a cracking sound like the one before and she was gone.

"You got him?" Cara said, running towards Benjamin's body.

"Um, yes. Give him the Breath of Life, so we can get going." Richard answered.

"Are you alright, Richard?" Kahlan whispered to him.

"What?" Richard asked. "Oh, yes I'm fine."

"Cara?" Benjamin groaned, and then Cara smiled, and they kissed.

Richard looked away. He had a horrible feeling that one of these tests that Shota was putting him through would involve someone dying and not coming back. He also didn't know what test he had been put through, and how he had passed.

Kahlan took his hand, and he didn't want anyone of them to die, even Chase, but he had to get home. "Alright, lets go."

So they walked into the golden palace.


	39. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The palace was beautiful. There was no doubt about that, but it had a strange feeling to it that was hard to describe, almost like it was all an illusion, like the wall might not really be there if you reached out to touch them. Of course that was the first thing Cara decided needed to be touched. "Wait." Richard whispered, his voice echoing down the silent halls.

Cara's hand stopped, her hand a finger's width away from touching the wall. "What is it Richard?" Kahlan whispered from beside him, her voice penetrated through the silence.

"I don't know. Don't touch anything." He paused looking around. Something was wrong. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't want to wait around the entrance for very much longer. The doors were still open, but Richard knew that they wouldn't be able to get back through them. "Lets go."

He started down a hall, letting his instincts take over. His boots sounded like crashing stones as he walked down the corridor, and he was the stealthiest of the five companions.

The began to pass a collection of vases, Richard kept seeing them at out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look straight at them they were gone. He noticed the others looking around for them too, and stopped to let them catch up.

"Richard, what do you think they are?" Kahlan asked. Her voice was still a whisper, but the sound was abrupt and sudden.

"I can't tell." He looked around, Cara and Benjamin were standing close to each other behind Kahlan, but something was missing. He couldn't quite figure out what it was though. "Stay close to me. I don't like this."

He grabbed Kahlan's hand and started off again, but the shadowy vases kept distracting him. He knew that if he could only catch a glimpse of them he would know true beauty. He just needed to turn his head faster.

Maybe if he let go of Kahlan . . .

He couldn't do that. He knew something was wrong the vases were unimportant. He did know true beauty, that was Kahlan, but something kept pulling him back to the vases.

He stopped again, looking around to find . . . something, or was it someone. He was still holding on to Kahlan, but he felt like he was missing something else. "Do you think that we're missing something?" He asked Kahlan. She was staring off aimlessly at something behind him.

She slowly turned her head to face him, "What?" She asked.

Richard let go of her hand. Her eyes were dead. Not just empty of expression, but glassed over and her skin looked old and faded. She started to walk away, and Richard realized why the room looked like it wasn't there.

They were surrounded by think mist, but it wasn't white, it was clear. The rolling clouds of it disrupted the flow of light just enough to give every thing an unnatural feel, and after a few feet it was too much disruption to see through. Richard ran after Kahlan, catching her hand before she could float away into the mist like the others, the ones he was missing.

He couldn't remember their names.

"Kahlan." He whispered, but she didn't seem to hear him. He needed to speak louder, but her didn't want to disturb the mist. It didn't like noise.

Suddenly Richard understood. That was its weakness, noise. That's why he and Kahlan were the last to fall under its sway. The noise drove it away. "Kahlan." Richard had tried to speak loudly, but his voice had come out puny and small. He tried again. "Kahlan." He had almost sounded normal, his head was clearing, and he could see farther away. Kahlan had reacted to her name.

"Kahlan." She turned her head, blinking a few times, clearing the glass from her eyes. Her skin looked healthier.

"Richard?" She whispered.

"Kahlan." Richard said, glad his voice had come back. "We have to find . . . Cara." He remembered her name now, all the time he had spent with her, in this world and his own.

"Yes." She whispered back to him, her voice sounded a little stronger.

"And Benjamin." Richard said, a little louder, too loud if he was having a normal conversation.

"Benjamin and Cara." Kahlan said, her eyes had regained their normal intelligence, and she looked healthy again. "There was someone else." She said.

"Dell Bradstone." Richard said, suddenly remembering. Saying the name out loud helped him remember who they were. "Here, take my hand." Richard said. "I'm going to ask you questions so that we don't get sucked back into the mist."

"The mist?" Kahlan looked around, realization dawning on her face. "I see. You go first."

"Do you like dogs?" Richard asked, leading them around in a circle. They continued asking each other questions, until they came upon Cara.

"Cara!" Kahlan yelled, and the mist flew away. Cara fell to the ground coughing. Kahlan ran to her, Richard keeping pace, and not letting go of her hand. She fell to her knees, and Richard followed her. Noticing a lack of pressure closer to the floor.

"Mother Confessor?" He heard Cara whisper, but Richard was lowering his head to the floor. He could see farther along the floor, the mist was off the ground about one and a half feet up.

Richard heard Kahlan explaining to Cara what was happening and how they need to keep talking. "Kahlan, look at this." Richard said, easing her head to the ground.

"You can see the exit." Kahlan said, pointing towards a break in the wall across the room from them.

"Yes, and there are some boots." Richard said, "They have to be Benjamin's or Dell's."

"Benjamin?" Cara said, shock creeping onto her face. "I can't believe I forgot him." Her voice sounded back to normal, and she look as healthy as ever.

"Lets go." Richard said, heading off in the direction of the boots, dragging Kahlan and Cara with him. Every so often he'd drop to the ground to see if he was still headed in the right direction, while they asked each other questions.

They found him, but he almost looked dead, he leaning against a wall, next to an ancient corpse. Cara went to him talking in a soothing, yet loud voice until, he came around. While she talked to him, Richard went to the ground to search for another pair of boots, but there wasn't another one.

He stood up. "Richard." Kahlan said, almost screaming. He looked up, she was pointing at the ancient corpse that now had some remains of flesh on it.

Richard stooped down lower, taking a closer look at the corpse. "It's Dell." He said in astonishment.

"Who?" Benjamin asked, his eyes returning to their normal color. "Oh." He said without explanation, the effects of the mist wearing off.

"Dell. Dell, come on man, you can make it back." Slowly the corpse began to look like a starved human. "We don't have time for this. Can someone scream in his ear or something?" Richard asked.

Kahlan bent down close to him, and let out an inhuman shriek that reminded Richard of the blood red eyes that had accompanied the Con Dar.

The mist shot away, leaving a choking Dell on the floor, he was holding his ears. "Dell. It's all right. You're going to be all right. Tell me your name." Richard said.

"Chase Bradstone." He coughed out. "You, you're Richard." Dell said.

"Yes." Richard nodded his head, "Who's that?" Richard pointed behind him.

Dell squinted, "Shota." He sighed.

"What?" Richard spun around, but no one else seemed to notice the witch's presence.

"Hello again, Richard." She looked less aged now; the bags were gone from under her eyes, her skin more firm against her muscles.

"Shota." Richard couldn't muster much more of a greeting.

"You seem to have passed my second test. What did you think?" She asked, she seemed almost chipper, much different from the woman he had seen outside of the palace. "Anyways, I guess you really do love, that woman. I guess we'll have to see about the next test." Shota smiled at him, but he didn't return it, and the smile turned into a pout. "Don't be like that Richard. It's not like I'm the enemy, at least not yet."

Suddenly she was gone without warning, and so was the mist. In the center of the room on a marble pedestal were five broken vases; each had the one of their faces on it.

"We have to keep going." Richard said, pulling Dell off the floor.

**Author's note: Sorry for the long wait. I got really busy, and then I was sure what to write. This chapter is longer that most of mine, so I hope it makes up for it. Again, I'm very sorry, with Winter Break coming up, I'll try to write at least two more chapters before next year.**

**IndependenceDayChild17**


	40. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"Richard." Dell said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He turned around. "This should be it. Shota should be on the other side of that door."

"All right." Richard looked around. Kahlan stood next to him, a look of trust on her face, and he thought he might see love; Cara stood with her arms crossed, and even though she tried to look bored, Richard could see that she was readying her self for battle; Benjamin was next to Cara, and he looked to Richard expectantly for orders; Dell was the only one that looked scared, and Richard hoped that he didn't look half as scared as Dell.

"Richard, maybe this is a bad idea. Shota has magic, and so does the other man." Dell said.

"I know, but it's not like we're defense less." Dell didn't look convinced. Richard continued in a softer voice. "You don't have to come."

Dell made a sound of dismissal. "Of course I do. It's my family Richard, and I'll watch your back. You're not as tyrannical as they make you out to be." He smiled, but Richard knew he was still afraid.

"All right then. Don't attack unless you're attacked first. I don't want to kill anyone unless it's necessary, and even then, we need one of them alive." Richard said. He turned to Kahlan and grabbed her hand, squeezing it.

"I love you, Richard." She whispered.

"I love you too." He answered, and then let go, pulling his sword out.

They burst through the door, weapons ready, and there Shota stood. She looked older, like the first one he'd seen, but inside the palace there was a certain mystical quality that made her seem to shine.

"Richard." She said simply.

"Shota, where is the man?" He asked.

Shota looked passed him. "I see you brought Chase along. Strange, I thought he would be dead by now."

"Shota." Richard said coldly. "Where is he?"

Shota turned her gaze back to Richard slowly she almost looked bored. "Do you even know who he is? For that matter, what makes you think that I'm responsible for you being here?" She asked.

"I received you're message." Richard said, but she looked confused.

"_With the end of a tyrant a new reign begins,_

_But not of a savior who's helped by his friends. _

_Find strength, love, and friendship then journey west._

_But fail to remember and fail your quest."_

Shota looked at him incredulously. "You think I sent you a poem? Richard, that wasn't me."

Richard looked around for support, but no one seemed to understand how the message was from Shota. "The first line describes this place, where the death of Darken Rahl didn't bring any joy. The second describes my world, where I'm supposed to become the new Lord Rahl. The third tells me who to bring with to your palace; strength, Benjamin a soldier; love, Kahlan; and friendship, Cara. The fourth is a warning about what happens if I don't bring them."

Shota didn't look convinced. "Why would I tell you how to get back home if I brought you here?" She asked.

"I don't think you did." Richard said. "It was the Shota from my world. She wanted to show me what I could become with power, so I could prevent it, but here, someone is blocking her magic. That would be the man that I need to find." Richard said.

Shota smirked. "You think you know everything don't you Richard Rahl, but you don't know who is block the magic, so why should I tell you?"

Richard stared back at her and answered very calmly. "Because I will kill you if you don't."

Shota laughed. It was musical, and sweet, not something you would expect to here from a witch woman, but Richard thought he heard doubt in her laugh. "Are you going to tell me where he is?"

"No." Shota answered, but before she could do anything else, Richard was holding her down on a table. The Sword of Truth was at her neck, and it was glowing red.

"Richard." Shota breathed, but there seemed to be a change in her manner, something was different, and it wasn't just the sword at her throat.

Then there was clapping. Richard could hear it coming from a corner shrouded in darkness. "Very good, my boy. Very good. I knew you were good at deciphering puzzles, but it's nice to finally see how good. The Richard from here isn't nearly as interesting, more menacing, but not interesting."

"Who are you?" Richard asked, but he was starting to figure it out.

"See, now that's my only problem, you haven't figured out who I am." The man stepped out of the shadows, and at first Richard still didn't know who he was, so contorted was his face, his baldhead with red streaks and scars from Wizard's fire. The one eye that wasn't there, but when he smiled, even though it was sadistic and harsh, he could tell.

It was Zedd.


	41. Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

"Zedd?" Kahlan gasped. She had thought he was dead for a long time, and he looked like he had been close to it.

Richard looked stunned too, but she didn't really understand why. Then she remembered, a forgotten conversation '_Zedd, my grandfather. Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, wizard of the First Order._' He was Richard's grandfather.

Zedd had turned to her, a look of disgust on his face. "You!" He spat. "You seem to have foiled every one of my plans to kill Richard, even though you swore to hate him, and kill or confess him if you ever had a chance."

Kahlan remembered that oath. It had been a long time ago, but she had never forgotten it, until the last few weeks. "Zedd, I . . . "

"Why are you trying to kill me Zedd?" Richard stepped in, but he still hadn't moved from where he was, the sword over Shota's neck gleamed with light from the palace. "I'm not the Richard that you hate, and you know that."

"My plans to kill you had been in place for a long time, the Shota from your world's meddling wasn't going to mess up a whole years worth of preparation!" He yelled, but continued in a calm voice. "Besides, I figured you would be much easier to kill, and once you were dead . . . we would be free from Richard Rahl forever."

"But that doesn't make any sense, what's stopping him from coming back." Cara said from behind Kahlan.

Richard answered. "If there's no body to come back to – "

But Zedd finished. "Then there is no way to come back. After seeing you at work as the Seeker, it's a shame I'll have to kill you, but it's better this way."

"Wait!" Kahlan said. "Why can't you just send Richard back and kill the other one."

"He'd have to wake up first, and then I'd have to kill Richard Rahl fair and square. You remember how that turned out last time don't you. Not to mention one word and he can command us to do whatever he wants." Zedd explained.

"The Boxes of Orden?" Richard asked. "There were only two in the Garden of Life."

Everyone turned to stare at Richard. "What are you talking about Richard?" Cara said. "There have been three there since the Seeker was defeated."

"No, one of them is a fake. It's an illusion, the other Richard could never have used the power of Orden." Richard explained. "You didn't realize he wasn't using it?"

"Well, he said that he didn't need to, he could force us to do anything, and he enjoyed that part of it." Cara said calmly, Benjamin gave her a sideways glance.

"Then who has the third box?" Kahlan whispered.

"Excuse me!" Shota yelled. "Will you please let go of me Richard?"

"Why would I do that?" Richard asked.

"You know why." Shota said. "I can't believe she made fun of my prophecy." Richard let go of her, a smirk lingered on his lips for a second, and Kahlan almost forgot that they were in a stand off with the most powerful wizard alive.

"Richard?" Cara asked her Agiel loomed in her hand ready to strike.

"She's from my world." He answered. Cara didn't seem ready to back down though, and Benjamin seemed ready to kill her as well.

"Now, are you going to let me go back to my world?" Richard asked, but he seemed to think he knew the answer, his sword was lowered, and he looked tired. Zedd looked like he was contemplating it, and he smiled, but it wasn't a smile Kahlan had ever seen before.

"No." Wizard's Fire shot forward out of Zedd's hands, heading straight for Richard.

** Author's Note: Okay, after a long time, I think I finally decided to end this thing. Only a few chapters left, and it'll be over. By the way, WHO HAS THE THIRD BOX OF ORDEN? Any guess? Anyways, sorry for the wait, the very, very long wait. I hope it was worth it for you.**

**IndependenceDayChild17**


	42. Chapter 41

Chapter Forty-One

It all seemed to happen slowly. The bright flames that came shooting towards him didn't register as bad until it was almost too late. Richard hadn't expected this, it was Zedd after all, Richard's grandfather, he had always been reasonable, but then this wasn't his Zedd. This Zedd had almost died in the same way Richard was about to.

Richard brought the Sword of Truth up quickly, just in time to block the devastating flames. Heat radiated towards him as the fire shot up, deflected off the sword. Zedd didn't seem like he would be stopping any time soon, and Richard wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on.

The flames stopped abruptly, and when Richard looked to see what had happened, Kahlan was standing in front of Zedd, her hand around his throat. Richard didn't know what to do, he didn't want to kill Zedd, but he was sure that Zedd would kill him. He looked around aside from Zedd and Kahlan, Shota was standing off to the side, looking kind of bored, and Cara and Benjamin were still standing by the door, looking out of it with a certain intensity that told Richard something was wrong. Dell was nowhere to be seen.

"Richard, we have a problem." Cara said.

"What is it?" He asked, not taking his eyes off of Zedd, who seemed to be speaking to Kahlan.

"There are some . . . creatures coming to kill us." She said.

"They don't look friendly?" He asked hopefully, but still sarcastic. He turned to look at her just long enough to get an eye roll. "All right, Zedd, please call off your magical beasts."

"No." He answered. "If I don't get the job done, they will."

"Zedd, please, I don't want to – " Richard started.

"This is your finale test Richard." Shota spoke, she still looked bored, but she was staring at him now. "You have to decide, the entire world, or one man who you think you love."

"What?" He asked. He looked to Zedd, who looked so unlike the one in his world that he hadn't been sure it was him at first. He was smiling, and he looked insane.

"Let me confess him Richard." Kahlan said. "Then you won't have to kill him."

"No." Richard said so forcefully that Kahlan, Cara, and Benjamin all turned to look at him for a second. "No, that is worse than death for a wizard." He whispered, hoping Kahlan hadn't heard him even as he spoke.

"Then let me kill him." Cara said. She turned away from the door. "It will only take a second." Her Agiel whined in her hand.

"No, it has to be him." Shota said. "And he knows that."

"Give it up Shota." Zedd called. "He won't do it. He loves me too much."

"You're right." Richard said. His eyes glistened with tears as he moved towards Zedd, the sword coming up. It was glowing white. He didn't want to do this, but it was the only way.

Zedd's eyes widened, but not in fear. Like everyone else in the room, they had never seen the sword glow white in a Seeker's hands. "You really are the true Seeker." Zedd whispered.

"I do love you." Richard said, hoping he would never have to do this to his Zedd. The world seemed to have gone white around Richard, nothing but his grandfather could be seen. He slid the sword into his chest. It went in smoothly, and came out clean. The old man fell to the floor, madness still evident on his face, but a strange look of love as well.

The magic would take its toll.


	43. Chapter 42

Chapter Forty-Two

Kahlan watched Richard, tears pouring down his face, and the sword glowing white, kill Zedd. It almost seemed like she shouldn't be watching it. Like she was intruding in a personal moment that no one should have seen but Richard.

Then it was over, and Richard straightened his shoulder, slid his sword back into his sheath, the blade was perfectly clean. The tears had stopped, but when Kahlan looked into his eyes she saw deep pain.

"Richard." She whispered, wanting to run to him and comfort him, but he ignored her.

"All right, Shota. I've played your little game now, so send me home." Richard said.

"What about the beasts?" Kahlan asked. She didn't want him to leave, because then the other Richard would come back. She wanted him to stay forever, and marry her and grow old with her. She knew though, that he would never allow that. He didn't love her, he loved his Kahlan, and they happened to look and act a lot alike.

"They're gone." He said with finality. Cara and Benjamin walked over to them.

"He's right, Mother Confessor." Cara said. "They just disappeared after the Wizard died."

"Where is Chase?" Richard asked. "I mean Dell."

"Right here Richard." Chase said, coming through a door. Around him were his many children, and his wife was in his arms. "Thank you." He said, and then left without another word with his entire family.

Kahlan wasn't sure, but just as Chase was walking out the door she thought she heard Richard whisper back. "You're welcome."

Then he returned his attention to Shota who still looked a little bored, and had only looked a little interested when Richard turned the sword white. "Now, I need to go home."

"Yes you do. Your doppelganger has been wreaking havoc in your world, and Kahlan's plan to kill him was beginning when I left." Shota said.

"So how do we do this?" He asked, a determined look on his face, and Kahlan knew she wouldn't be able to convince him to stay, especially now that Kahlan had been mentioned.

"First of all, you can't resist like last time, or you will arrive too late, or not at all. That's why there was a period where neither of the Richards were in this world. Also, the magic that I use needs to draw on your magic, or the bond. Since you didn't have the bond in your world, but you do here, we'll have to draw the magic from you this time. Tell your Mord-Sith that her Agiel will work as soon as the other Richard returns, and then she should kill him." She shrugged her shoulders, "If she wants to."

"So what do we need to do?" Richard asked again, he didn't know that much about magic. He had understood what Shota was saying, but how to do that was beyond him.

Shota sighed. "You just need to stand there." She paused. "This will hurt Richard."

"I remember." He answered. "Just let me say goodbye." Shota nodded.

He went to Benjamin first. He would be the easiest to say goodbye to, because he hadn't known him for very long. He pulled him into a hug, and before pulling away whispered, "Protect Cara. Your lucky she loves you." They pulled away and Benjamin nodded. Benjamin looked to Cara and smiled.

Then Richard went to Cara. She raised her eyebrows at him, daring him to hug her, but he did anyways. "Richard." She protested, "This is improper behavior for Mord-Sith." But she didn't seem like she was trying to pull away from him.

He pulled away, noticing a little resistance in Cara's grip. "Make sure you kill him." He said, glancing over to Kahlan. Cara nodded, she wouldn't let Kahlan get hurt ever again. "Good luck Cara." He turned away, to the most difficult good bye.

"Kahlan." He said softly, trying to remember that she wasn't the woman he loved, but it was almost impossible. There was a tear running down her cheek even though she had her confessor face on, and Richard knew this would hurt her.

He pulled her into a hug, and she let go, weeping into his shoulder. "Don't leave. Richard. He'll come back. Don't leave." Richard kissed her forehead, and held her for a little while longer.

"Richard, we need to go." Shota said.

Kahlan stopped crying, and straightened, tear streaks marked her face, but she still looked as beautiful as ever, even the first day he'd met her, when she had hated him. It seemed like he'd been here forever, but only a month and a half, two months at the most.

"I'm sorry Kahlan." He whispered to her, and she shook her head, nodding her understanding, and then she smiled, and even though he could see it was fake, he would take what he could get.

Richard walked over to Shota. "Are you ready?" He shook his head, and readied himself for the pain.

It hurt just as much as before. He fell to his knees, the entire world going white around him. The intensity of it was so much more than an Agiel, and Richard could only imagine what it would be like for the other Richard, who never felt an Agiel, but he didn't wonder for very long as the pain intensified, and suddenly it was dark.

Eternity struck.

He didn't know anything. He felt that this must have been what being in his mother's womb had been like. There was nothing to worry about, and he didn't worry. There was an everlasting calm that settled over him. He was awake and asleep, up and down, dark and light.

There was light again, and Richard was on cold marble. He looked up, the bright light blinding him for a second. Kahlan, Cara, and Chase stood over him, and the look on there faces said murder.

"Wait! Wait! It's me, Richard." Richard said. He looked into Kahlan's eyes, and a look of relief spread onto her face.

"Richard." She dropped the sword she'd been holding and ran to him.

"Kahlan! What are you doing?" Cara yelled after her, but Richard only noticed Kahlan racing towards him. Then she kissed him, and Richard knew.

He was home.

** Author's Note: One more chapter.**


	44. Epilogue

Epilogue

Kahlan still thought about Richard. Not the Richard that Cara had killed when he woke up in Shota's palace, but the Richard that had left. It hadn't been that long since then, but Kahlan couldn't get him out of her head, and now she had three territories to run, and there was no Lord Rahl to help.

Cara had returned yesterday from her trip to look for the third box of Orden, but she hadn't found it. It was troubling that she had been duped all this time into to believing that Richard Rahl had the power of Orden, but so had most of the world.

She was sitting in Aydindril; she had only been back to the People's Palace once to make sure that they would recognize her as their leader. It had been a week of non-stop violence, but she had convinced them that she was the rightful heir, by the fact that the Mord-Sith Agiels would have stopped working if there was no lord Rahl, a fact she'd had to demonstrate. She knew the peace between the three territories wouldn't last long, and whoever's blood was making the Agiels work would turn up at some point, but she hoped it wasn't today.

She was hearing complaints from peasants in the Grand Hall, and even though she would never let anyone else sit in it, her chair was uncomfortable by the fourth peasant. Cara stood next to her, a way to make sure that the peace between the territories was understood, when a man stepped forward.

Something about him told her that this man wasn't a peasant with a complaint. He was wearing a cloak, with a hood that covered his face, and behind him a person followed with the same garb. Cara's hand went to her Agiel as they stepped forward.

"Mother Confessor." He said, his head turning sideways for a second. "It is an honor to meet one so revered as your self."

Kahlan was on the edge of her seat, waiting for an attack. "Thank you." She spoke coldly. "Who are you?"

The man threw his hood back, and Kahlan shot up out of her chair in surprise. Cara backed away, her hand falling from her Agiel. Behind him the other figure removed her hood, and Cara seemed even more surprised. The man pulled something out of his cloak.

"I come bearing gifts." Nicholas Rahl held up a jewel-encrusted box.

**Author's Note: So that's the end, I've been thinking about a sequel, so please review and tell me if you want it to happen or not.**

**IndependenceDayChild17**


End file.
